Sunday, January 31, 2010

Rubbers and Liners

Dear Me,

Have you been watchin' the news lately? It's official: There is an HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Philippines. There is a continuous and fast rise of patients testing positive for the infection. It took only ten months of 2009 to surpass the reported cases of the entirety of the year 2008. I remember you telling me several years back that this occurrence is bound to happen when the incumbent administration opted to cede to the influence of the Catholic Church in banning government spending for methods other than natural family planning. Apart from population explosion, STI's or sexually transmitted infections will see a rise in incidence. You just hate it when every time a reproductive health legislation is brought forth, conservatives would label it as pro-abortion.

I hope people will see what you saw and have been advocating for all these years. That the Filipino, just like any other race in the world, is experiencing a change in culture. That it has evolved and the dynamics have changed should open our eyes to the fact that the interest of science and the dogmas of religion have to meet somewhere. You cannot just help but roll your eyes when someone would tell you that the country's problem is not the number of Filipinos but the manner by which we utilize human resources. Crap, how would we even consider them as resources if by their sheer number we cannot feed, shelter, clothe and educate them? And now with the DOH officially stating that there is an AIDS epidemic, the matter is even more pressing.

I am sure you will be sad as I am in knowing that most of the new HIV-positive patients are Filipinos with ages rangin' from 17-30 years old. Yep, younger and younger the mean age of exposure is. Before, most patients are from the third sex or sex workers. Now, most of the new cases are young urban professionals - a number of which come from the call center industry. I am happy to note however that you have proclaimed some few years back that your promiscuous days are over. You even have this preposterous claim that you are currently practicing celibacy. But aren't you just glad that during your time with the call center industry such an epidemic has not yet occurred? I heard you were as casual with sex as you were with your sneakers.

Will close now. I am begging you to exercise discretion. Not only with your sexual habits. Remember, you are a nurse and part of the medical team. And as such, you are a front-liner. By the way, you're currently a Deliver Room nurse right? How does it feel? A male nurse in the DR, wheeww man. In any case, you never needed to be in the DR to see a dilated cervix. Just kiddin' bloke. Peace.


Your friend for Good Health,

You

Friday, January 29, 2010

For One More Day

Dear Me,

I've heard you decided to blog again. How many times have you stopped blogging only to find yourself not being able to resist the urge of vociferating your thoughts and emotions through writing? I have lost count already but I am as excited as your are. Where ever this takes you, I am sure you'll be able to thresh out the crap and find gold even in the filthiest of dump sites. Your mom has taught you well. That from where you sit, that's where you shall stand.

You said in your last blog entry that you were leaving the blogosphere to pursue somethin' big. Somethin' that would redefine your life and make long term effects on how you deal with it. It has been more than two months and I have come to know that you are most fulfilled and satisfied by how much you've gained. As you expected, following relentlessly your desires involved consternation and more often than not, the pangs of loneliness and defeat. You have managed - but not without moments of fear and agnosticism as to the precision and even candor of the path you have chosen to take. And well, what's this i've heard from some common friends that you have morphed into someone younger than your age? Tell me, did Belo make you happy? Kiddin' aside, I am amazed by how they describe the change in your weight and appearance - somethin' you have done in less than two months.

So here you are again. Ready to share. Ready to write. Ready to get cranky. Ready to get spanked. Ready to get narcissistic. Ready to get that one more day. Ready to meet redemption - once again. I am lookin' forward to writing more letters for you. Together, this journey would be berserk, delirious, erratic and outrageous.

Always yours,

You