In solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community this Pride Month, BingoPlus Foundation—the social development arm of digital entertainment company Digiplus Interactive—has partnered with Love Yourself PH—a volunteer-run organization that provides free HIV and STI testing, counselling, treatment, and support—to further raise awareness about HIV and empower more people to check their health status.
BingoPlus Foundation donated P500,000 to Love Yourself PH, aiming to increase the availability of HIV self-testing kits nationwide and boost the HIV test rate in the country. According to the Department of Health (DOH), current test rate is lower than its target, which is only at 40 percent.
“At least 50 new HIV cases are reported every day in the Philippines. This is alarming, and we hope that through these HIV self-test kits, our partner, Love Yourself PH can encourage more people to check their status, and consequently overcome the hesitancy and other barriers to HIV testing,” said Andy Tsui, Digiplus President and Bingoplus Foundation Chairman.
The Foundation handed over the check to Love Yourself PH at the first-ever RUNRIO Pride Run 2024 which was held last June 22 at the SM by the BAY in Pasay City. During the event, advocacy partner BingoPlus Foundation mounted an interactive installation to inspire “rainbow” runners to spread the love and get checked to mitigate the spread of HIV – regardless of age or gender.
Co-presented by Arena Plus— the 24/7 sports betting app and one of the flagship brands of DigiPlus—the RUNRIO Pride Run 2024 was organized to promote a healthy and active lifestyle and create a safe space where every queer person can freely express themselves without hesitation.
5,000 runners, mainly composed of members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies, participated in the running event, which featured three race distances, 3k, 5k, and 10, catering to runners of all levels.
“We are truly honored to co-present the RUNRIO Pride Run 2024 and be part of the vibrant and fun-filled celebration of Pride month,” said Tsui. “But beyond the colorful rainbow décors, we also understand that Pride is a movement, and we rally behind the community in their pursuit of equality and acceptance. By working together to promote inclusion and self-care, we can better multiply both the fun and the good.”