Faculty members of BSU-CN and DepEd nurses and teachers gathered for an advocacy-driven seminar-workshop titled “2026 HIV Prevention Month: Project S.H.I.P. on HIV Prevention in Schools,” held under the banner of Project SELF-CARE on July 18, 2026, at Room 301, College of Nursing, BSU Main Campus in Km. 5, La Trinidad, Benguet. The day-long activity focused on providing crucial updates on HIV prevention, raising campus-wide awareness, and strengthening strategic initiatives against the spread of the virus in support of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education), and 5 (Gender Equality).

Operating under the broader MAAWIS-TAKO initiative (Managing Adolescent health and wellbeing in Schools & Teachers’ Training through Acquisition of Knowledge and Development to Self-care and Empowerment), Project SELF-CARE (Sexual and reproductive health care among school children aged 10–19 years towards abstinence as intervention on teenage pregnancy, STI/HIV/AIDS, and cervical cancer prevention) is a registered nurse-led extension project. It utilizes a tripartite approach under the Adivayan Youth Health Center to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health through primary risk prevention, abstinence, health promotion, and self-empowerment.

The program formally opened with a morning prayer and the Philippine National Anthem led by the College of Nursing (CN) Team. Jude L. Tayaben, the Project SELF-CARE Team Leader, delivered the welcome remarks and formally introduced the guest resource speaker for the day. Following a diagnostic pre-test administered by the CN Team and Activity Leader Marianne W. Sagada, the floor was given to the main speaker.

The centerpiece of the day was the Project SHIP HIV Prevention Seminar-Workshop, led by resource speaker Jhordin James C. Montegrico, PhD, RN, CMSRN, in partnership with the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA. Throughout the session, Dr. Montegrico shared extensive global and local updates regarding HIV transmission trends, clinical guidelines, and contemporary prevention strategies tailored for educational settings. The seminar engaged participants in deep discussions about combating the social stigma associated with the disease, reinforcing peer education frameworks, and designing effective student-targeted health advocacy programs.

Following the core seminar, a post-test was facilitated by the CN Team to assess learning outcomes. This was immediately followed by a highly collaborative Call for Action / Planning Workshop facilitated by Jude L. Tayaben. The workshop highlighted a strategic partnership between the Department of Education (DepEd SDO Benguet) and the BSU College of Nursing, where participants drafted actionable steps and Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) strategies to cascade school-based HIV prevention awareness programs directly into local schools and communities. The workshop series officially concluded with closing remarks delivered by Jayson M. Bimuyag, Project SELF-CARE Activity Leader.

After the formal conclusion of the seminar-workshop, Dr. Montegrico and the organizing team proceeded to the Office of University President Kenneth A. Laruan for a courtesy call. The brief meeting focused on exploring long-term institutional commitments, potential extensions of the school-based health advocacy program, and strengthening collaborative platforms with the university’s international health partners.

The event successfully served as a vital venue for knowledge sharing, equipping academic stakeholders and nursing leaders with the necessary educational and clinical tools to actively champion HIV prevention campaigns in schools.//MWSagada