CATBALOGAN, Samar –
Recognizing the fact that Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,
popularly known as AIDS, poses a great threat to the youth sector,
members of the youth group Karapatan at Kalusugan ng Kabataan (KARTADA)
here will lead the upcoming World Aids Day celebration on December 1.
Jeffrey Estera,
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairman of Brgy. 11 of
Samar’s capital town, Catbalogan, and an active member of the
120-strong KARTADA, said in a forum Wednesday that the group will be
spearheading a concert on December 1 to attract the youth to attend
the celebration.
“Concerts are proven
effective in drawing crowds, especially the young people, so that we
conceived holding such activity here,” Estera noted.
KARTADA, citing the
Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey conducted by the University
of the Philippines - Eastern Visayas Campus, reported that Region 08
ranked second nationwide as having the highest percentage of young
people engaged in pre-marital sex.
Eastern Visayas, the
survey showed, was slightly behind the National Capital Region in
terms of the high prevalence of teenage pre-marital sex making the
youths in the region vulnerable to the sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs), including AIDS.
Estera said leading
this year’s celebration is a great challenge to the group as this is
the first time they will be organizing such activity.
The youth leader
expressed confidence though that the event will be successful as they
already received initial support from the different sectors, including
the local government officials of the different towns in the province.
Catbalogan Sangguniang
Bayan (SB) Member Art Gabon, during the forum, vowed to pass a
resolution to give recognition to KARTADA and the Marie Stoppe’s
Clinic in Catbalogan for spearheading the activity.
