St. Dominic College of Asia (SDCA), in collaboration with the SDCA Community Outreach and Extension Officer, Prof. Ronald C. Tomines, were forging  new partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), along with the Y-PEER (a youth network, supported by UNICEF), at the SDCA AVR, last May 11.

Present at the said event were the UNICEF HIV representatives Mx. Mar Banibago and Ms. Anshaira Lopez, Mr. Carl Angelo Ortiz (Y-PEER representative), Heads of SDCA, Dr. Gregorio Andaman (Chairman of the school), Dr. Marita Andaman-Rillo (Chairman of the Board of Trustees), Deans, and more than 11 faculty members from different departments.

To open the meeting, Ms. Ianne Lopez (Vice President of the Community Outreach of Central College Student Council) talked about the background activities of SDCA in line with HIV/AIDS awareness.

It was followed by Mx. Mar Banibago (The UNICEF HIV Program Officer), where he discussed the objectives and mission of UNICEF, and its offered programs to SDCA once the contract is furnished, which they will process on the next meeting.

The benefits to the said partnership are trainings and counseling from the latter, to two appointed faculty members of SDCA, which will benefit the faculty members and medical students of the school. They will also give out reading materials for the Basic Education Department.

          Ms. Anshaira Lopez (UNICEF MEMBER) and Mr. Carl Angelo Ortiz (Y-PEER representative),  shared some of their experiences of being a member of their organizations and how it had helped them to be a well rounded person with regards to teaching and enlightening minds of the youth.

UNICEF is an agency of the United Nations devoted to serving the world's children. Throughout the years, they have partnered with different organizations with the same advocacy, including the Y-PEER organization. It’s a network of more than 500 non-profit organizations and governmental institutions who work in the many areas surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

 By: Miyuki C. Yamaguchi & Nicole Marie Valdez