I have been coordinating with an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who has HIV. He came back to the Philippines after he found out that he got tested anonymously there and found that he has the disease. He was so scared because the country where he is working at deports people who have HIV so he had to resign from his job work and come home.
The minute he came home, we already were communicating. The following day, he went to RITM to have a consultation. However, the staff there said that he has to take another test here in the country because his initial HIV test was done in another country. It is really the law here, so he went and got himself tested again. Now, he is just waiting for the other tests to be completed, including the CD4 test.
I know it is hard for our fellow pozzies who are working outside the country especially those who have laws forbidding foreign persons with HIV/AIDS to work in their society. Aside from the initial shock of knowing the presence of the disease in our systems, the OFW’s are also scared of the social implications and or safety once the country’s division of health founds out about it. I have heard that even while at work, the pozzies are being escorted out and detained fast or brought immediately to the airport for deportation. Pozzies in those countries were literally being treated like law breakers (which they are, since it really is in the laws).
Sad to say, that it still is happening, as with the case of the OFW that I am assisting at present. Of course, the whole world is disgusted by the discriminative laws in these countries but I do believe that there is hope that will come soon. I just hope that it would be sooner because, I know each individual, with or without HIV deserves to live a normal life and be productive.
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