26/05/2026
๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง ๐. ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐
"๐ด๐ผ๐จ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ท๐๐ต ๐บ๐ผ ๐๐จ๐๐จ๐.
Today, we gather once again as one community for the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial here in the Municipality of Bansalan. This is now our second year of coming together for this meaningful activityโand for me, that matters.
It tells us that what we started last year was not just a one-time event. It was not just a program. It was not just a ceremony. It was the beginning of a commitmentโa commitment to remember, to understand, to support, and to keep the light alive for those whose lives have been touched by HIV and AIDS.
This yearโs theme, โLIGHT THE LEGACY: REMEMBER. ADVANCE. ACT. KEEPING THE LIGHT ALIVE,โ speaks deeply to the purpose of our gathering.
Atong gihandom ang mga kinabuhi nga nawala tungod sa AIDS. We remember not only their names, but their stories, their struggles, their courage, and the love they left behind. Behind every candle we light is a person. Behind every memory is a family, a friend, a loved one, and a community that continues to carry that light.
And as we remember them, we also remind ourselves that they should never be reduced to fear, judgment, or stigma. Their lives were meaningful. Their stories matter. Ang ilang kinabuhi dili angay kalimtan.
As we advance, we move forward with greater awareness, with better understanding, and with stronger compassion. Ang HIV dili rason aron pakaulawan ang bisan kinsa. Dili kini rason aron ilain, isalikway, o tamayon ang usa ka tawo. Kini usa ka isyu sa panglawas nga nagkinahanglan og saktong impormasyon, access sa mga serbisyo, hustong pag-atiman, ug labaw sa tanan, tawhanong kalooy ug pagpakabana.
Dinhi sa atong lungsod, kinahanglan natong ipadayon ang pagtukod og komunidad diin ang matag usa mobati nga luwas mangutana, luwas moduol aron mangayo og tabang, ug luwas modawat og suporta. Kay usahay, ang pinakalisod dili lamang ang sakit mismo, kundili ang kahadlok nga hukman sa uban.
That is why education remains important. Open conversations matter. Testing, treatment, counseling, and prevention must be talked about not with shame, but with responsibility and care.
We act, because remembrance is not enough if it does not move us to do something. Ang kandila nga atong sindihan karong hapona dili lang simbolo sa kasubo. It is also a symbol of responsibility.
We act when we choose compassion instead of judgment. We act when we correct misinformation instead of spreading fear. We act when we make our offices, schools, homes, and communities safer for everyone. We act when we stand beside those who are living with HIV and remind them: you are not alone, you are not less, and you are not forgotten.
This is the legacy we are called to lightโ dili legasiya sa kahadlok, kundili legasiya sa gugma; dili legasiya sa kahilom, kundili legasiya sa lihok; dili legasiya sa diskriminasyon, kundili legasiya sa pagdawat ug dignidad.
Sa atong mga kaigsuonan nga nagpadayon sa ilang personal nga pakigbisog, please know that our municipality sees you. We may not always know the heaviness you carry, but we are here to walk with you. Dili namo kamo talikdan. Dili kamo angay mahadlok nga moduol, mangutana, o mangayo og tabang.
To our health workers, program implementers, advocates, partners, and all those who continue to serve quietly and sincerelyโDAGHANG SALAMAT. Your work may not always be seen by everyone, but it is felt by the people whose lives you touch. Every counseling session, every test, every referral, every conversation, and every act of kindness helps keep the light alive.
Ug sa tanan nga ania karong hapona, hinaut nga kining candlelight memorial magpahinumdom kanato nga ang matag usa adunay papel nga gampanan. Dili kinahanglan nga adunay taas nga titulo o ranggo aron makahimo og kalainan. Usahay, magsugod kini sa paagi sa atong pagstorya, sa paagi sa atong pagpaminaw, sa paagi sa atong pagtratar sa uban, ug sa atong pagpili nga mosabot una sa dili pa mohukom.
As we light our candles today, hinaut nga atong dad-on kining kahayag lapas pa niining panagtapok. Hinaut nga magpabilin kini uban kanato sa atong trabaho, sa atong mga panimalay, sa atong mga desisyon, ug sa paagi sa atong pagtratar sa usag usa.
Let this light remind us to remember with love, to advance with purpose, and to act with courage.
Padayon ta sa pagdala sa kahayag. Padayon ta sa pagpakabana. Padayon ta sa pagserbisyo nga adunay gugma, respeto, ug tinuod nga panaghiusa.
DAGHANG SALAMAT, UG MAAYONG HAPON SA TANAN.."
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐. ๐๐๐๐๐
Municipal Mayor
05/26/2026
Dodo Cagas Gymnasium
Viacrucis Park, Poblacion Dos, Bansalan
International AIDS Candlelight Memorial 2026
