Moving Beyond the Anti-AIDS Campaign
Zamboanga City

By taking on the challenge posed by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Zamboanga has risen as a prime sentinel against the dreaded AIDS/HIV (acquired immune deficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus) pandemic as well as a staunch implementer of programs that address poverty, health, education problems, women’s reproductive health issues, education and gender inequality.

Zamboanga City was originally chosen as one of the sentinel sites by the Department of Health’s (DOH) National HIV Sentinel Surveillance System in the battle against the spread of AIDS/HIV because of its strategic location. As the country’s “backdoor,” Zamboanga City is a main trading center, shipping and entry point to the Philippines’ neighboring countries. Its ports are busy and its booming entertainment industry attracts thousands of visitors from countries including those with high incidence of HIV/AIDS like Brunei and Malaysia. Thus, while the city attracts potential investors and tourists who could enhance the city’s income, it also becomes doubly vulnerable to the outbreak of AIDS/HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs/STIs).

AIDS/HIV’s frightful expansion has made it one of the primary targets set under the MDGs. Global figures show that in 2002, 42 million adults and children are estimated to be living with HIV (human immuno-deficiency virus) while a total of about 25 million people are estimated to have died from AIDS since 1981. In South and South East Asia, an estimated 6 million individuals are feared to be infected with HIV with the infection rate rising fast.

But Zamboanga City’s local government officials have come up with a possible solution to this potential threat by implementing a project that would monitor, control and prevent the possible outbreak of HIV/AIDS and STDs/STIs in their city, and safeguard the whole country in the process.

AIDS-free campaign

Though the project initially started as a partnership between the city government and the Human Development and Empowerment Services (HDES), a non-government organization working towards an AIDS-free Zamboanga City, other groups within the city have adopted the project as well. A partnership has been forged between local officials and civil society organizations, national government agencies, business and the private sector that made the “AIDS-free Zamboanga City” campaign a resounding success both inside and outside of the city. At present, Zamboanga City is one of the nine local government units (LGUs) in the country that have developed a reliable system to monitor and counter the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs/STIs).

But this was no easy feat. For Zamboanga City, it meant coming up with a comprehensive plan to address the problem. It meant continuing the implementation of other programs that could alleviate poverty to prevent residents from entering the lucrative yet AIDS/HIV vulnerable entertainment industry. It entailed setting up a system of monitoring and tracking people and encouraging every person in Zamboanga City to cooperate and be part owners of this program. It also required convincing the people that these endeavors are safeguards rather than infringements of their inherent human rights.

The Zamboanga City Multi-Sectoral AIDS Council (ZCMSAC) established primarily for the implementation of the program was responsible for ensuring that the comprehensive plan would be carried out. The plan included upgrading of medical facilities in all barangays; increasing public awareness through massive education and information campaigns; upgrading the knowledge, attitude and skills of its health personnel and community health outreach workers and peer educators at HDES; setting up a systematic and organized behavioral serologic surveillance system; conducting disease detection efforts through case finding, contact tracing and reinstating treatment and counseling; maintaining its own data bank on STIs/STDs and HIV/AIDS; strengthening linkages with other government agencies, NGOs and other sectors; and ensuring that adequate funding would be available for the program.

All of these interventions have led to a one-of-a-kind LGU-initiated HIV/AIDS prevention program that has almost prevented the onset of AIDS/HIV to a highly vulnerable city. These interventions have also impacted on the health and well-being of the vulnerable sectors and has transformed LGU’s health providers and volunteers into effective health service providers. More importantly, this program has been implemented side-by-side with other programs that are aimed at accomplishing the other MDGs.

Upgraded health centers

Today, 15 main health centers and 84 sub-centers are functional and provide a host of services from AIDS/HIV and STD/STI prevention to family planning counseling to assisting the other health needs of the general populace. These are where the immunization of children against tuberculosis (TB); diptheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT); measles and hepatitis B are done. The skills of health officers from the city to the barangay levels are constantly upgraded through orientations and trainings in areas like maternal care, family planning, and childbirth. Trainings and orientations on new medical procedures and development are also given. For example, two medical officers and three nurses were trained and oriented on how to conduct newborn screening, a relatively new procedure previously available only in some private hospitals and in the Medical Center.

The main health centers have been converted into lying-in clinics that provide regular prenatal services, vitamin A supplementation (both for pregnant mothers and children) and even post-partum care. These centers also cater to men’s reproductive health problems and provide adolescent fertility management orientation to adolescent and youth leaders in the community.

The health centers also serve as “centers” for the anti-AIDS/HIV and STDs/STIs program. This is where intensive STD/STI prevention services are made available from counseling to information dissemination about HIV/AIDS and STDs/STIs. This is also where the behavioral and serologic surveillance are done with the help of barangay officials who reports to the City Mayor the presence of transients or new comers to the city. These barangay officials were also trained on migration and urbanization to help them effectively monitor migration trends and influence population movements.

The LGU also tried to counter malnutrition by providing nutrition education classes for mothers and conducting regular and monitored feeding sessions for malnourished children at the barangay level. The LGU also conducted regular immunizations, vitamin A and iron supplementation, newborn screening, de-worming and supplemental feeding and supplemental feeding and growth monitoring of children six years old and below. In its supplemental feeding program, the LGU purchased locally produced food commodities giving a boost to its local economy.

Livelihood skills training

Aside from securing the health of its citizens, which is basic, the LGU has provided livelihood skills training to prepare families for livelihood activities. It implemented special livelihood and housing and shelter projects aimed at vulnerable and special groups like indigenous peoples, displaced workers, students and youth. It also established livelihood infrastructure support by building post-harvest facilities, multi-purpose drying pavements, rice mills and farm equipment like threshers, corn shellers, backpack sprayers and even farm inputs like seeds and organic and inorganic fertilizers. Credit has also been provided to provide capital. This has increased agricultural production in the city.

Day care centers

Catering to the education needs of the populace, the LGU was responsible for constructing 48 day care centers from its own fund and five day care centers through solicitation of congressional funds. Aside from regular salaries, incentives were also given to the 182 day care workers which include PhilHealth privileges shouldered by the government. At least 30 barangays have been encouraged to provide their own incentives to the day care workers using their own meager funds.
Books have also been provided to grade school pupils as well as chairs for the day care centers. A separate school-based nutrition program was also implemented to ensure the adequate nutrition of school children. The LGU spent some PhP200 million for the construction of school buildings, maintenance of access roads going to schools, renovation of school buildings, construction of toilets and shower rooms, etc.

Promoting gender equality

Zamboanga City’s officials worked towards promoting gender equality as a cross-cutting concern for all the MDGs. They provided gender sensitivity, capacity building, livelihood, counseling, and leadership skills trainings to women leaders. They also conducted orientations on Republic Acts 9262 and 9208 and advocated for its effective implementation at the city and barangay levels. By strengthening coordination between the Women’s Desk, Barangay officials, City Prosecutors Office and Human Rights Office, the LGU ensured that Republic Acts 9262 and 9208 are effectively implemented and that women and children are adequately protected. A Local Council of Women was also created which supervised the activities aimed at the promotion of women’s welfare programs. To provide livelihood opportunities for women, the LGU also provided capital assistance for small scale income generating activities.

Coastal resource management

The LGU strove to protect the city’s environs by implementing coastal resource management programs, watershed management, and coastal clean-ups. Regular clean-ups were done at the coastal strip of Cawa-Cawa Boulevard with the Cawa-Cawa Coastal Management Councils. A 50-hectare mangrove reforestation project located at Talon-Talon was also implemented as part of the city’s coastal resource management program.

Solid waste management

The LGU also implemented a solid waste management program that is closely tied to a materials recovery facility for composting and recycling. Waste segregation was implemented especially at the main public market with the city providing compartmentalized steel receptacles or bins. Information and education campaigns on solid waste management were also launched. Barangay officials, students, and the academe received orientations on solid waste management and were also involved in the actual clean-ups initiated by the city. From the waste materials, the Materials Recovery Facility, produced quality compost fertilizer that were sold to local residents and contributed to the local treasury.

Watershed management

Watershed management is also a major undertaking with the city of Zamboanga teaming up with the DENR’s (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) Region 9 office. The strict enforcement of forest laws, rules and regulations in coordination with the DENR has resulted to the capture of illegally obtained forest products.

In coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), the LGU helped establish mini-forests in selected schools.

Zamboanga City might have been inspired to protect the health of its residents at first through the “AIDS/HIV Free Zamboanga City,” campaign, but it has clearly gone beyond this program and have implemented programs corresponding to the other goals set forth under the MDGs