SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian wants the Department of Education and the Department of Health to boost their information campaign on the human immunodeficiency virus amid reports of rising HIV cases among adolescents.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education cited the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines which revealed that 86 cases were recorded among children and adolescents.

It was learned that 79 of these cases were adolescents aged 10 to 19, while seven were less than 10 years old.

“Nakakaalarma at nakakalungkot isipin na kung sino pa ang dapat na binibigyan ng dobleng pag-aaruga dahil sa kanilang murang edad at kahinaan ay sila pa ang nakakaranas ng matinding pagdurusa. Ang nakababahalang balitang ito ay kinakailangan ng mas maigting na pakikipag-ugnayan ng DOH sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno at mga lokal na pamahalaan para ikalat nang husto ang kaalaman tungkol sa sakit at kung paano maiwasan ito,” Gatchalian said.

In January this year, 1,454 HIV cases were reported. Of the 1,365 cases acquired through sexual contact, 998 or 70 percent were males who reported having sex with another male, 193 or 13 percent were males having sex with females, and 240 or 17 percent were males having sex with both males and females.

Gatchalian vowed to pursue a Senate inquiry on HIV infections among the youth, as well as adolescent pregnancies. Last year, he filed Proposed Senate Resolution No.13 to review and assess the implementation of DepEd’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education.

“Nais nating tiyakin na sapat ang kaalaman ng ating mga kabataan pagdating sa HIV, lalo na’t maaaring magdulot ito ng pinsala sa kanilang kalusugan at kapakanan. Susuriin natin kung paano natuturuan ang ating mga kabataan upang pangalagaan ang kanilang mga kalusugan,” he said.