Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC)
Mandated to Do Good
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 2009

Here’s a less known fact – even prior to the implementation of the Republic Act 8504 (or the Aids Prevention and Control Act of 1988), the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) was actually already established (in 1992) by virtue of the Executive Order No. 39 as an advisory body to the Office of the President on all matters related to AIDS.  RA 8504 simply reconstituted it to become the central advisory, planning, and policy making body on the prevention and control of HIV and AIDS in the country.

PNAC is, obviously, the biggest gathering of people and/or groups to deal with HIV and/or AIDS in the Philippines – made up of 26 members from the government, civil society, and organizations of people living with HIV, the Council “envisions a fully empowered national coordinating body where different individuals and sectors work in partnership to prevent the transmission of the virus, and lessen its impact on the affected persons in particular, and society in general,” PNAC’s Web site states.

Even with the big number of supposed participant through PNAC, nonetheless, the Council is only an advisory body – as PNAC itself states in its Web site, “PNAC shall lead in developing and sustaining an enabling environment where individuals and sectors can appropriately, effectively and expeditiously respond to the many challenges of HIV/AIDS. PNAC shall foster commitment, coordination, cooperation and collaboration.”

Ditto: “As an advisory body, although recommendations were made to the President, these were not necessarily acted upon. PNAC, however, served as a venue for intensive policy discussion between government and NGOs. This ensured that policies to be formulated and actions to be taken truly respond to HIV and AIDS as a social development issue requiring multi-sectoral attention.”

And it is in that – the gathering of people involved in HIV and/or AIDS advocacy – that PNAC’s main (if not only) strength is from, as it envisions “a fully empowered nation where different individuals and sectors work in partnership to prevent HIV transmission and to lessen its impact on affected persons in particular, and society in general.”

For information, visit the Philippine National AIDS Council Secretariat at 3/F Bldg. 15 San Lazaro Compound, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila; call (+632) 7438301 local 2551 and 2553, or (+632) 7430512; fax (+632) 7438301 local 2552; email pnac_sec@yahoo.com; or visit www.doh.gov.ph/pnac/.