BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government reaffirmed its commitment to intensify the fight against HIV/AIDS as it joined the global observance of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial 2026 on May 16 at SM City Bacolod North Block.
The annual event honored individuals who died from HIV/AIDS and expressed solidarity with families, advocates, volunteers, healthcare workers, and communities continuing the fight against the disease.
City officials emphasized the need to strengthen public education, reproductive health awareness, prevention programs, and community-based interventions as Bacolod City and Negros Occidental continue to face a growing HIV burden.
Councilor Em Ang, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Health and Sanitation, said HIV should be addressed with compassion rather than fear and discrimination.
“HIV should not be met with fear or judgment, but with correct information, prevention, testing, treatment, and support,” Ang said.
Mayor Greg Gasataya, through Executive Assistant Jonathan Diaz, said the city government continues to strengthen its HIV/AIDS response through free and confidential testing, screening, counseling, awareness campaigns, and support services for persons living with HIV.
“Behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a life worth protecting,” Diaz said.
Diaz added that the Bacolod City Health Office, Bagani Community Center, and the city’s HIV/AIDS team have been conducting awareness campaigns and voluntary testing in schools and barangays.
Since July 2025, outreach activities have been conducted in the barangays of Alangilan, Cabug, Estefania, Granada, Handumanan, Mandalagan, Sum-ag, Taculing, Tangub, Singcang-Airport, and Vista Alegre.
Diaz said HIV education and testing initiatives are also being carried out in public secondary schools, universities, colleges, business process outsourcing firms, and major companies in the city.
Records from the City Health Office showed that Bacolod had 1,392 active HIV cases as of 2025, with about 200 deaths recorded during the same period. No official figures have yet been released for the first quarter of 2026.
Data also indicated a steady increase in newly recorded cases, from 125 in 2023 to 135 in 2024 and 183 in 2025.
Diaz clarified that the figures include patients from neighboring localities who work in Bacolod and receive treatment in the city.
“Most of them are workers here and are recorded in Bacolod because they also receive treatment here,” he said.
Ang thanked various sectors and partner organizations for their continued support.
“Their presence underscores a strong public-private partnership in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Together, we are amplifying efforts to curb the spread of HIV and uplift those living with it,” she said.
The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is a worldwide movement dedicated to remembering lives lost to HIV/AIDS, supporting those living with HIV, and promoting a future free from stigma, new infections, and AIDS-related deaths./PN
