Let’s not beat around the bush—Palawan is known for many things: turquoise waters, jaw-dropping sunsets, and being a bucket-list paradise for travelers. But recently, it’s gaining another title we didn’t exactly ask for—a growing hotspot for HIV infections.

Yes, you read that right. Our island isn’t just a top travel destination; it’s now grappling with an HIV crisis that’s becoming harder to ignore. And before you scroll past thinking this is “just another health article,” wait until you hear this: the youngest reported case is a 13-year-old who acquired HIV through unprotected sex.

That’s not just a headline. That’s a wake-up call wrapped in neon lights.

Wait, 13?!

Yup. According to the City Health Office (CHO), there are 17 HIV-positive cases among 0-14-year-olds in Palawan. One is a newborn (mother-to-child transmission), but the 13-year-old? That’s not an accident of birth. That’s a tragedy of silence, stigma, and the glaring absence of real sex education.

For those who think this is just a youth issue—let’s break it down.
📊 Ages 15-24: 391 cases
📊 Ages 25-34: 593 cases
📊 Ages 35-49: 187 cases
📊 50 and above: 22 cases

This isn’t just a young people’s problem—it’s everyone’s problem.

Sexy Talk? Not in My Town!

If you’ve ever sat through a “values formation” class in school, you might remember that sex was either skipped or handled like a cursed word. As a result, many young Palaweños grow up knowing how to ride a bangka before they know what a condom is.

Is it really any surprise then that HIV continues to spread?

Government, Are You There?

Now’s the time for serious intervention. Not the kind with hashtags and ribbon cuttings, but actual, funded programs. Things like:

• HIV testing centers that don’t feel like interrogation rooms
• Accessible antiretroviral therapy (ART) even in far-flung barangays
• Comprehensive, age-appropriate, real-talk sex ed in schools
• Community livelihood support—because not all risks are taken for fun, some are born out of desperation

Community, Don’t Look Away

This isn’t just the government’s fight. We’re all in this together, like it or not. From Tatay Edgar at the tricycle terminal to Ate Joy at the sari-sari store, we need to end the gossip and start the conversation.

Let’s stop treating HIV as a chismis and start treating it as what it is: a public health issue that demands compassion, awareness, and yes, actual information.

We applaud the Amos Tara Community Center and the CHO for stepping up. They’re encouraging HIV testing and providing support to those who need it most. But they can’t do it alone.

YourPalawan, Our Responsibility

Palawan can be more than just the best island in the world—it can also be a model of community-driven health advocacy. We owe it to our youth, to our friends, and to ourselves.

Because let’s face it: HIV isn’t the virus we should be afraid of—it’s ignorance.

So if you haven’t talked to your kids about HIV yet, now’s the time. If you haven’t gotten tested, maybe put that on your to-do list. And if you’re waiting for someone else to fix the problem—tag, you’re it.