LOVEYOURSELF CENTER. Department of Health-Central Visayas medical officer Dr. Van Philip Baton (center) talks about the HIV situation in the region during the launching of LoveYourself White House HIV testing center in Cebu on Saturday. With him are (from left) brand ambassador Karencitta and LoveYourself officers Chris Lagman and Jan Shaitel Vincent Estrada. (Photo by Luel Galarpe)
CEBU CITY – LoveYourself Inc. officially opened its first community HIV testing center outside Metro Manila here in on Saturday.
Ronivin Pagtakhan, LoveYourself founder and executive director, said they decided to establish the first center in the Visayas, LoveYourself White House in Cebu, because of the “very high” incidence of HIV cases in Central Visayas.
“Central Visayas shares 9 percent of the total number of persons living with HIV in the country since 1984,” Pagtakhan said.
Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7) medical officer Dr. Van Philip Baton, who attended the launching, said the number of HIV cases in the region has risen to 5,774 from 1984 to December 2018.
“It is very timely for LoveYourself to be here in Cebu as Central Visayas ranks fourth in terms of most number of HIV cases nationwide,” Baton said.
LoveYourself White House provides free and confidential testing and treatment, including education, counseling, and life coaching. It is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday starting noon until 9 p.m.
Clients can enjoy the WiFi services and have free coffee, tea, or juice drinks while waiting for the test result, which will be released 15 minutes after the testing.
Christopher Lagman, LoveYourself co-founder and senior director, said they were supposed to set up shop in Cebu in 2013, but it did not materialize due to lack of resources, volunteers, and partners.
LoveYourself also introduced Karencitta, a talented Cebuana hip-hop artist based in the US, as its newest brand ambassador in addition to Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach during the launching.
The LoveYourself White House had its soft opening and blessing last Aprtil 6, and has already catered to more than 30 walk-in clients since then. (PNA)
