Working Towards Empowered Filipino Youth:
The Remedios Hotline Project

This project is being supported by the Levi Strauss Philippines through the PBSP Levi- Advised Fund. The project focuses on 4 main areas namely: counseling/ education, resource center expansion, community mobilization and clinical services.

THE REMEDIOS HOTLINE PROJECT
For the year 2000, the Hotline received a total of 14,377 actual calls as compared to 14, 111 in the year 1999. Male callers registered 55% as compared with female callers accounting for 45%. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of these actual calls belong to the 11-25 age group. Promotions of the hotline project were done through regular postings of numbers through cable community channels and newspaper/tabloid advertisements.

Hotline data revealed evolving concerns on Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) as one of callers major concerns. ARH concerns include topics such as crushes, love, sexual fantasies/ cravings, identity crisis, sexual prowess and the like. Still, the top three main concerns of the hotline for the year 2000 were as follows: HIV/AIDS/RTIs, Family Planning, and Sexuality concerns. Other interesting RH concerns being discussed during counseling sessions are issues related to emergency contraceptive pills (ECP), domestic violence and abortion. Currently, Remedios is considered by UNAIDS Geneva as one of the candidates in having a good Hotline Counseling experience. Hopefully, RAF Hotline experience will be published soon along with the other case studies on Hotline Best Practices.

Capability building initiative among 17 youth participants on adolescent health counseling was conducted to assist the hotline project. Recruitment of workshop participants came from nearby schools and communities.

THE RESOURCE CENTER
RAF center received a total of 1002 visitors for the year 2000. Most of its visitors were females accounting for 56%. Resource center users were basically students and young professionals coming from paramedical allied courses. The Resource Center has its own Library Management Information Service (MIS) - a database which is currently being test run for its application. This is done to upgrade the standard of the Resource Center to its client users. For this year, about six hundred (600) books titles were accessioned/catalogued.

CLINIC HEALTH LABORATORY - MALATE BRANCH
The satellite clinic has initially started its operation last September 16, 2000 opened every week from 4 to 6 pm. In three months period, the Malate based clinic has reached a total of 31 clients. Majority of the clients were female accounting for 51%. 44 % of clients of the Health lab have white-collar job. The top three (3) clinical services rendered by the Malate based clinic were blood typing, RPR (for Syphilis), and HIV Antibody Testing. By January 2001, the Malate based clinic has expanded its operation from Wednesdays to Saturdays from 4-8 pm. Anonymity and confidentiality of clients is assured and guaranteed.