my first AIDS candlelight memorial.

The current DOH has managed to make great strides in important health issues: smoking and HIV/AIDS. Huzzah!

AIDS Candlelight Memorial March later, 4pm, from Remedios Circle to Rajah Sulayman Park.

Day 2 was island hopping day.

Visited Palawan. Coron, Palawan that is.
Place is so beautiful, my pictures fail to capture its full beauty. But I tried.

Tomorrow is election day.

I have not been such a responsible voter. I have no idea who to vote for our local government positions. I don't have a complete list of senators. I don't even have a final president yet. At least I have a party-list group already.

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I feel like the candidate I despise will win tomorrow. I'll just have to hope for the best because I really can't stomach the fact that he will represent us in the international community. He will decide what laws will pass and who will head our executive departments. Heck! I'll even have to listen to his SONA for six years.

Part of me wishes he'll do a terrible job so at least the Filipinos will finally learn that voting for someone just because they can trust not to steal him isn't enough. Sure, you trust he won't still? But can you trust him to manage and lead our many offices? our nation's executive machinery? The president's job is not just preventing corruption. In fact, I don't even trust him to do that. Sure, HE might not be corrupt but what about the other members of the government? What about that auditor? that MMDA officer? that office clerk?

But I really hope he does well because I can't go serve the government if this system remains unchanged. I'll probably stick to newspaper and online articles though 'cause his voice and appearance make me cringe. I know I'm shallow like that.

So I have a bunch of reports and a couple of proposals messing my head.

How can I possibly have a vacation with me trying hard to be a researcher?

So much for a stress-free Palawan getaway.

But it is not so bad. I decide when to work and once you get over an issue, it is pretty smooth riding... uhm... er... writing.

I guess a career in research is a very plausible path.

Just attended the HIV/AIDS meeting hosted by the Philippine College of Physicians and Philippine Society of Infectious Diseases.

I learned new stuff regarding the pathophysiology of HIV/AIDS and the HIV/AIDS program of the health sector. I also met some people.

Someone told me that as a med student, HIV status doesn't matter since you chances are you won't be doing anything that would put a patient at risk of getting an infection. Disclosing it will only harm your career. Too bad cause we are supposed to be the lead fighters of stigma against HIV.

The only thing is I'd hope more people had attended and we hoped to have heard some views by religious groups. Ironically, many religious groups actually have hospices and clinics for HIV/AIDS patients but the top. Some religious health workers also encourage the use of condoms especially for sex workers. The problem is Top Management can't get through their silly hats the value of condoms. I guess obsession with the afterlife can do that to you. Unfortunately for them, living a good life doesn't seem to impede a person from getting to heaven. Well, I really don't know since I haven't died yet.