Pageant for a cause turns to social media to boost advocacy for key messages on HIV-AIDS 101

KALIBO, Aklan- The management of the Queen of Aklan (QoA) has expanded its reach to social media in order to reach out to more people, getting messages across about the elimination of the dreaded HIV-AIDS at least in the province of Aklan.

The province of Aklan is a 17-town province that includes Boracay Island, one of the famous beach tourism destinations, and is considered a party place.

Lora Gabuna-Antenor, Vice President for Internal Affairs of the QoA said the organization was a beauty pageant for a cause for gays and transgenders in the province. It started as a World AIDS Day Queen in 2012 but later evolved into a QoA.

“From 1999 to July 2023, the Provincial Health Office has tested 542 HIV-AIDS cases in the province. A hundredth of them have already died,” Antenor said during the Kapehan sa Aklan on Saturday November 4.

Reports from the PHO indicate that in 2019 there were 62 cases; 2020 has 48 new cases; 72 more in 2021; in 2022 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 101 cases registered from January to July this year has 67.

Daniella Isabella Laurente Matthews of Numancia, a finalist, said that this year there were eight candidates vying for the crown.

“What we traditionally do is to conduct community based forums for students on HIV-AIDS 101 on a voluntary basis. We now has also reached out to others using social media to urged our friends to take free HIV-AIDS testing, and we do also peer counseling,” she said during the forum

The Queen of Aklan Coronation Night will be staged at the ABL Sports Complex on December 1, 2023.