Project Headshot Clinic - COMMIT Presents The Red Whistle Army

Ignorance should never be an excuse especially when lives are at stake. Many become infected with HIV/AIDS because they lack awareness and proper knowledge on how to stop and prevent these diseases. It is alarming how the number of HIV and AIDS cases in the country continue to rise. People should not suffer from the dreaded conditions because they don't have access to crucial information that should give them the sense of urgency to act and protect themselves.

Today is World Aids Day and Headshot Clinic, the Philippines' first and biggest photo project by Niccolo Cosme, calls on people to COMMIT. A couple of weeks ago, I was one of those who joined HSC's latest themed photo shoot which advocates for the HIV and AIDS "prevention revolution" and to open everyone's eyes to the challenge of proper information dissemination.  

Niccolo's artistic goal for HSC Commit is to launch a Red Whistle Army in support of The Red Whistle campaign. In a way, Niccolo wants people to see that behind each framed head shot is a bigger picture, a bigger scenario, a bigger challenge. 

Aside from members of the online media, well-known personalities and celebrities supported the campaign by also having their photos taken with The Red Whistle. Reproductive health advocate Risa Hontiveros stated that the challenge for our country is, "to talk about HIV, to raise awareness, and, eventually, to raise a responsible generation of Filipino people." 

HSC Commit, in collaboration with Starworld, Levi's, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and The Red Whistle campaign, supports World AIDS Campaign 2011 with the theme of "Getting to Zero":

• Zero new HIV infections
• Zero discrimination
• Zero AIDS-related deaths

Many of us believe that we are not likely to contract HIV, but there are people around us, people we care about, who lack the information to protect themselves. As Mr. Renaud Meyer, Chair of the United Nations Theme Group on HIV and AIDS said, we all have to "take action and stop and reverse the spread of the epidemic, provide the care and support needed by those infected and affected by the epidemic, and fight against the stigma and discrimination which people living with HIV are confronted with." 

Are you vulnerable? Learn more! Visit The Red Whistle Campaign website, Take the Test for free (hotline 0927.7155800 or 0923-3780800), or call the AIDS Society of the Philippines (02.3762541).

We all live with HIV.

While the cases are getting higher, we can do something to make it better.

BE THE CURE by acknowledging the fact that we all live with it.

Learn, make time, and support.

Help The Red Whistle sound the alarm and bring hope for the country to be HIV-FREE by 2015.

To view all headshots from HSC Commit, check out www.facebook.com/headshotclinic