The church, said Gregory Rugay, acting pastor of Northern Sanctuary-Metropolitan Community Church, has a responsibility to help end HIV. And this is what drives the LGBTQIA-affirming church that is based in Baguio City to diversify its HIV-related efforts to “reach our flock”.
Specifically, Northern Sanctuary-MCC conducts community-based HIV screening (CBS) in bars in various parts of Baguio City, an offshoot of an effort to deliver community-based HIV services that was started in 2015.
“At first, we were just given HIV rapid test kits,” recalled Rugay. But after a while, “we were picked to implement the pilot of CBS in the Cordilleras. We’ve never stoped since.”
For Rugay, the LGBTQIA community is among the most affected by HIV, so it is only right for focus to be given to its members.
To date, the country logs over 40 new HIV cases per day, with a big percentage coming from the LGBTQIA community.
Added John F. Raspado, vice moderator of Northern Sanctuary-MCC, “it is a way for our church to help our brothers and sisters who are in need.”
But Raspado believes that HIV efforts should be inclusive – e.g. since HIV has been noticed to greatly affect the youth, then their parents should also be involved in responding to HIV.
“HIV is still rampant right now,” Raspado said. “It’s like a silent pandemic. We have to take this into account nowadays.” – WITH ARTHUR ABAD NWABIA
