Richard Hayag knew something had to be done. Sexual health essentials such as condoms, lubricants, and HIV test kits—“as in everything”—in the Bicol Region were hard to find. Supplies were erratic and the arrival of new stocks from the capital of Manila, some 277 kilometers away, was unpredictable. For people living with HIV (PLHIV), the stock outage was not only a matter of inconvenience, it was a matter of health and survival.
Richard and two of his other friends established Gentlemen Bicol, a community-based organization providing care and support for PLHIV. Over the last decade since it started, Gentlemen Bicol has grown into a community made up of PLHIV and volunteers who have formed partnerships with the local health office to help manage sexual health supplies and streamline the distribution of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) medication.
“When we conduct HIV screening, it is our responsibility to immediately link those whose result is reactive to counseling and treatment. From there, we continue to monitor them,” said Richard.
What began as a way to secure the gaps in the supply chain has evolved into a tightly woven chain of care that even extends to when a patient runs out of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) medication.
“Sometimes there is no supply of ART or the PLHIV cannot make the trip to their treatment hub. Those who still have stock let the others “borrow” pills which are replaced once they re-stock their supply,” Richard explained, chuckling.