Having Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is not deadly as it used to be; it is as manageable as diabetes. That was one of the many facts the Foreign Service Institute’s (FSI) Batch XXI (Salinlahi) of the Foreign Service Officers’ (FSOs) Cadetship Course learned from attending a seminar-workshop on Strengthening Capacities of FSOs on Migration and HIV and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

Ms. Amara Quesada-Bondad, Executive Director of Action for Health Initiatives, Inc. (ACHIEVE), facilitated the seminar-workshop held at St. Giles Hotel, Makati City from 15 to 16 January 2015. The seminar-workshop included topics on Policy Framework and HIV Situationer, Basic HIV Orientation, Understanding Migration Realities, and Handling HIV-Related Issues Onsite. The FSO Cadets were also able to listen to personal experiences of two health advocates invited by the NGO, one speaker living with HIV and the other, with AIDS.

The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of Personnel and Administrative Services sponsored the two-day seminar-workshop in cooperation with FSI. ACHIEVE is a non-government organization (NGO) which caters to issues related to HIV, gender and sexuality, human rights, and health concerns of Filipino migrant workers.

A.Quesada
Ms. Amara Quesada-Bondad lectures on Gender Sensitivity as part of the Cadets’ seminar-workshop on Strengthening Capacities of FSOs on Migration and HIV and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Activities
Batch Salinlahi takes part in games and activities facilitated by ACHIEVE at St. Giles Hotel in Makati City.
Lecture
Cadets engage in a lecture-dialogue with Ms. Amara Quesada-Bondad on HIV and AIDS.