The Court and the Requirement

Hello, hello RANTers!

How is everyone doing for the past two weeks?

I have a lot going on for this month, which includes me getting colds for a week, that’s why I wasn’t able to RANT about what is happening around us now.

So now that I am back on my blog, shall we get started on RANTing?

As you all remember on my previous RANT, me and my fellow health bloggers at Philippine Health Bloggers Society had this very W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L trip to ParadiZoo for the Health Blogging Workshop which is sponsored by Zoomanity, Victoria Court, Gardenia, Elabram, Global Learning Institute, and FAME.

Since our workshop was sponsored by a whole lot of companies, most tarpaulins have been put up during the event. And out of these whole bunch of tarps (And I sound like I’m referring to a whole bunch of MAGIKARPS here. ‘Coz it R-H-Y-M-E-S!) during the event, what caught my eyes the most is this one…

Ms. Inday Varona-Espina during her talk at the event.
(Photo taken by Mr. Yzak Vargas.)

The one I’m referring to is one of the tarpaulins of Victoria Court with the words “Coding?... #WhereNext”. And the tarpaulin actually depicts two G-U-Y-S inside a car trying to park their vehicle at a Victoria’s Court branch (Now that got YOUR attention.).

It’s a bit surprising isn’t it? I mean, just looking at the tarpaulin itself you would I-M-M-E-D-I-A-T-E-L-Y think that those two guys in the picture are lovers and their car isn’t allowed on the road that day and that’s why they’re gonna check-in for the night inside the hotel (In which the M-A-G-I-C of the bed will start here.) and go home the next day. Or you would imagine a whole bunch of other things that the two guys, being lovers in our imagination, would do inside the hotel for the time being (Do I have a G-R-E-E-N mind or what?).

But that R-E-A-L-L-Y is not the case here…

Video owned by feelthedistinction

and courtesy of YouTube.

See that? What they really did was to go inside the hotel because the vehicle they’re in is not allowed to roam around the streets so they had to do the next best thing: to go inside Victoria Court to avoid being ticketed by the traffic enforcer. And inside the room they checked in all they did was to play around (And that still sounds G-R-E-E-N.).

It was such a good advertisement if you would ask me. It perks your mind as to the story of the picture in which two guys deciding to check inside a hotel. It perks your curiosity of the message behind the tarpaulin (Not LITERALLY of course.).

Then during the event, Nr. Alvin Dakis told everyone that Victoria Court is actually a partner in the prevention of the spreading of the dreaded HIV. And I myself can attest to that.

Photo not owned by blogger.

A few years back, my sister had her bridal shower in one of the rooms of Victoria Court-Malate (I think that it’s that branch. I really can’t remember.). When I first of it, I was like “Oh… Victoria Court. Okay. Another cheap motel.” but as soon as me and our cousins arrived at the room, I was totally FLABBERGHASTED by the B-E-A-U-T-Y of it. I mean, the room was totally AWESOME with the design and the comfortableness of the chairs and bed.

And speaking of the B-E-D, I was a bit surprised when I saw two or three pieces of CONDOM and a sachet of lubricant  lying at the foot of the bed.

What came into my mind when I first saw those condoms at the bed (I’m still not a health professional here, by the way. Let’s be clear about that.) was that the motel is MOSTLY used as a cruising spot and most of their customers are those men having sex with men (Talk about stereotyping.).

Speaking of HIV, have you guys ever heard of the news going around that the Department of Health (DOH) is pushing for the amendment of Republic Act 8504 (R.A. 8504) or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998. And the amendment would be the COMPULSORY/MANDATORY HIV TESTING of high-risk groups which includes female sex workers, injecting drug users, patients undergoing surgery, pregnant women, and MEN HAVING SEX WITH MEN (MSMs).

This news actually ticked me off when I first heard and read of this.

Members of the Filipino LGBT Community will now be FORCED to come out of their own closets even if they don’t feel like doing it yet. They will be FORCED to confront what they fear the most: being discriminated and being looked down on just because of their sexuality.

Memories of their childhood days, wherein they’re teased for being gay, will come back to haunt them.

They will be BULLIED once again.

Where is the humanity of the DOH with this statement of theirs? Because it is VERY C-L-E-A-R that forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do is very INHUMANE and UNETHICAL.

What do they want to prove with this statement of theirs?

How are they going to stop the discrimination for those people living with HIV (PLHIV)?

Has the DOH thought of this THOROUGHLY?

This move of the DOH will only put more STIGMA, FEAR, and DISCRIMINATION of each member of the Filipino LGBT Community.

This has got to stop.

No one has to experience MORE DISCRIMINATION in their lives.

No one has to be FEARED OF more.

No one has to go back into the HOUSE OF NIGHTMARES once again.

No one.

Photo not owned by blogger.