The Red Whistle

The emerging trend shows that the current prevention programs are insufficient, and the communities affected by the epidemic must be mobilized into action to support initiat The Philippines is facing an alarming rise in HIV infection. 21 new infections are recorded everyday, an exponential leap from the ‘low and slow’ character of the epidemic before 2007. There are also reports of undocumented HIV-related deaths, a manifestation of the invisibility of the epidemic and its impact. Evidence indicates that the increase is driven by the lack of awareness and appreciation of the risks of HIV infection due to unprotected s*x, which is aggravated by fear and stigma that surround the virus and the people living with HIV and AIDS. The emerging trend shows that the current prevention programs are insufficient, and the communities affected by the epidemic must be mobilized into action to support initiatives that aim to stop the epidemic. The Red Whistle has three objectives: 1. raise awareness on the situation to encourage community action; 2. deliver safer s*x messages designed to reach communities affected by the epidemic; and 3. help facilitate access or referral to HIV services, including HIV testing, treatment, and support services. The Red Whistle aims to empower and inspire people to come together and help each other in this battle against HIV and AIDS. We hope to reach our objectives through online and social media efforts, visual arts and rebranding through the red whistle. We hope to engage individuals and groups to HELP sound the alarm in their respective communities that HIV is here and that it must be stopped. The Red Whistle is a collaborative platform for artists/individuals/groups to come together and create new visuals and mediums that can be used as awareness campaign materials and to hopefully collaborate with brands to come up with items that can be in line with our campaign.