ILOILO – Following significant public backlash, the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) has issued an apology for its social media campaign that used Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo to promote vasectomy without the athlete’s knowledge and consent.
The campaign, which has since been removed, congratulated Yulo on his victories and bizarrely offered free vasectomies to individuals named “Carlos” and their friends in celebration.
The now-deleted Facebook post originally featured an image of Yulo with text celebrating his Olympic success while promoting the vasectomy service.
This gimmick drew a wave of negative reactions from netizens, prompting the IPHO to revise its campaign materials and remove Yulo’s photo.
The revised campaign posters now state: “Free Vasectomy! August is Family Planning Month! As part of the Family Planning Month Celebration, Iloilo PHO along with its partners will offer free no-scalpel vasectomy and other Modern Family Planning methods.”
In a statement, the IPHO expressed regret over the incident: “We, at the Iloilo Provincial Health Office, extend our sincerest apologies for the recent social media ad campaign that featured two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo as the poster boy for promoting vasectomy.”
According to the IPHO, “It was never our intention to misrepresent Mr. Yulo or imply any personal endorsement from him. We recognize that our choice of imagery was inappropriate and may have caused confusion and offense. We deeply respect Mr. Yulo’s achievements and his contributions to sports and did not seek to undermine his personal or professional image in any way.”
Dr. Rodney Labis, chief of the Health Service Delivery Division at IPHO, stressed the importance of involving men in family planning and the offerings for the month.
“The no scalpel vasectomy is a safe and effective procedure that greatly benefits couples who do not wish to have more children,” he stressed, adding that the service will be offered for free at the Iloilo Provincial Hospital throughout August.
This year’s Family Planning Month, themed “Panalo ang Pamilyang Planado: Tara Usap Tayo sa Family Planning”, aims to enhance awareness about the role of family planning in promoting health and well-being among the Ilonggo community.
IPHO encourages those interested to contact them through their Facebook page, email at ipgfptc@gmail.com, or mobile at 0969-499-5423 for more information./PN
