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Despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, the Philippine Department of Health will support the use of condoms to forbid the spread of HIV/AIDS in addition to encouraging education on the issue and promoting measures to guard against sexually hereditary infections, the Philippine Star reports. Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde at the second base Asia Pacific Regional Meeting on universal proposition access to HIV bar in Manila, Philippines, aforesaid, "The use of condoms to preclude the spread head of HIV/AIDS is different from their use for birth control," adding, "The church's position is damaging to public health" (Crisostomo, Philippine Star, 8/29).
According to Villaverde, "We cannot genuinely prevent masses, regardless of their spiritual belief, from engaging in high-risk behavior, and so we must educate them and we must provide some prophylactic device and control measures for them" (Alave/ Bordadora, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 8/28). Villaverde added, "Generally, the coming of the DOH in terms of HIV prevention is truly through department of Education and advocacy. Awareness and behavioral change are important." Villaverde did not say how condoms would be promoted in the nation, where all forms of contraception are opposed by the church building, according to the Star (Philippine Star, 8/29). The Catholic Church has been campaigning against the manipulation of government funds for and universal access to contraception, the Daily Inquirer reports.
Although the Philippines is considered a low-prevalence land, with less than 0.1% of the population testing positive for HIV, the number of HIV-positive people continues to originate. DOH data indicate that the identification number of recorded HIV/AIDS cases rose to an average of 29 per month in 2007, up from 20 cases monthly in past years. Estimates
