AN ASSISTANT professor of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines was recognized for presenting the third best paper at the 10th National Social Science Congress.

George Vincent Gamayo of the Department of Broadcast Communication was recognized for his paper “S-T-I-G-M-A through the Eyes of PLHIV: Deconstructing HIV/AIDS Depiction in Batang Poz.”

Gamayo presented his paper under Parallel Session 34 “Addressing Barriers and Promoting Inclusivity for Sexual Health in the Philippines.”

“The study uses the digital miniseries Batang Poz to understand how people living with HIV who engage in men having sex with men (PLHIVMSM) construct meanings regarding the program and how the show mirrors the traditional depiction of PLHIV that may suggest that HIV/AIDS are spread by the queer community,” PUP said.

Six other faculty members also presented their papers during the three-day national conference.

Themed “Centering Social Sciences in Future-Proof Health and Well-Being,” the conference featured more than 120 research studies from across the country and some foreign participants.