How To Get To LoveYourself Uni

Fast Facts:

Nearest Train Station: LRT1-Gil Puyat

Nearest Bus Terminals: DLTB Bus Terminal, BBL Bus Terminal; Pacita Liner Terminal

Bus Routes: Alabang-Lawton (via Taft Avenue)

FX Routes: Monumento-Taft/Buendia; Cubao-Taft/Buendia; Fairvew/PHILCOA-Taft/Buendia; Quiapo-Taft/Buendia; Divisoria-Taft/Buendia

Jeepney Routes: Baclaran-Divisoria; Baclaran-Sta. Cruz; Baclaran-Quiapo

Nearby Places: LRT1-Gil Puyat Station, Atrium Suites, Arellano University, BBL Bus Station, Cartimar Shopping Center, EGI Shopping Mall, JAM Bus Station, Pacita Liner Terminal, Tritran Bus Station

Commuting Routes:

From Caloocan

From Las Piñas

From Makati

From Mandaluyong/Pasig
From Manila

From Muntinlupa

From Parañaque/Pasay

From Quezon City

From Taguig

From Caloocan:

Route 1: LRT

1. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
2. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

Route 2: FX

1. From Monumento, ride an FX to Taft/Buendia.
2. Get off at the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound) at your left, LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

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From Las Piñas:

1. From Alabang-Zapote Road, ride a jeep to Manuela Metropolis Alabang (Metropolis Mall).
2. From Manuela Metropolis Alabang (Metropolis Mall), ride a bus to Lawton via Taft Ave.
3. Get off at the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound). LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

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From Makati:

Route 1: MRT-LRT1

1. Take the MRT to Taft terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-EDSA station.
3. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
4. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

Route 2: Jeep-LRT1

1. From Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. (Buendia), ride a jeep to LRT/Taft.
2. Get off at the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. Walk to Taft Avenue extension (northbound, direction towards DLSU Manila), you will see a Mercury Drug to your right.. LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

Route 3: Jeep-MRT-LRT1

1. From Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. (Buendia), ride a jeep to Guadalupe, and get off at MRT-Buendia.
2. Take the MRT to Taft terminal station.
3. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-EDSA station.
4. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
5. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

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From Mandaluyong/Pasig:

1. Take the MRT to Taft terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-EDSA station.
3. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
4. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

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From Manila:

Route 1: LRT1

1. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
2. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

Route 2: LRT2-LRT1

1. Take the LRT2 to Recto terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-Doroteo Jose station.
3. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
4. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

Route 3: Bus

1. From Lawton, ride a bus to Alabang via Taft Ave.
2. Get off about 30m before the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound) to your left. LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

Route 4: FX

1. From Taft, ride an FX to Buendia.
2. Get off about 30m before the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound) to your left.  LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

Route 5: FX

1. From Quiapo/Divisoria, ride an FX to Taft/P. Ocampo (Vito Cruz)/Buendia.
2. Get off about 30m before the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound) to your left. LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

Route 6: Jeep

1. From Divisoria/Sta. Cruz/Quiapo, ride a jeep to Taft/Buendia/Baclaran.
2. Get off about 30m before the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound) to your left. LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

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From Muntinlupa:

1. From Manuela Metropolis Alabang (Metropolis Mall), ride a bus to Lawton via Taft Ave.
2. Get off at the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound).. LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

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From Parañaque/Pasay:

Route 1: LRT1

1. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
2. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

Route 2: FX

1. From Taft, ride an FX to Monumento, Cubao, Fairview/PHILCOA, Quiapo (via Taft Ave.), or Divisoria (via Taft Ave.).
2. Get off at the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound). LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

Route 3: Jeep

1. From Baclaran/Buendia, ride a jeep to Divisoria, Sta. Cruz, or Quiapo (via Taft Ave.).
2. Get off at the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound). LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

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From Quezon City:

Route 1: MRT-LRT1

1. Take the MRT to Taft terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-EDSA station.
3. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
4. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

Route 2: LRT2-LRT1

1. Take the LRT2 to Recto terminal station.
2. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-Doroteo Jose station.
3. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
4. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

Route 3: FX

1. From Cubao/Fairview/PHILCOA, ride an FX to Taft/Buendia.
2. Get off about 30m before the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) and Taft. You will see a Mercury Drug (along Taft northbound) to your left. LoveYourself Uni is at the same building on the 2nd floor.

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From Taguig:

1. From the Fort Open Field, Market! Market!, or Net2, ride the Fort bus/shuttle to Ayala.
2. Take the MRT to Taft terminal station.
3. Walk through the connecting foot bridge towards LRT1-EDSA station.
4. Take the LRT1 and get off at Gil Puyat station.
5. LoveYourself Uni is at the 2nd floor of the building where Mercury Drug is (Taft northbound), right beside the station.

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LoveYourself Incognito, a free and anonymous HIV screening for men, set for May 29

"What you see, what you hear, when you leave, leave it here."

LoveYourself Incognito, the country's first community-based HIV screening for men that asks for no names, uses no forms, and is highly confidential, is set for May 29 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Victoria Court Malate. 

Incognito, with its strictly confidential and quick screening process, is part of LoveYourself's efforts to reach out to the key-affected population that still suffers from the stigma of getting themselves tested for HIV - because they do not want their identities exposed. The process is patterned after similar successful screenings in Thailand (Suck, Fuck, Test) and the United States. 

LoveYourself assures that even with a quicker screening process, Incognito will give out results that are as reliable as past whole-day testing events since the same rapid test kits in LoveYourself clinics will be used. The 3rd generation rapid test has 100% accuracy for non-reactive clients.  

No names need to be given and no forms need to be signed for the screening. Clients will only provide a Unique Identifier Code (UIC) and contact information when registering. Only when a client gets a reactive result in the rapid test will his full information be required for the Paperless Personal Information Sheet (DOH-NEC form). This is necessary to confirm the client's status and so that he can be referred to treatment facilities. 

In addition, clients will only need to wait for 15-20 minutes to get their results - that is if their result is non-reactive. Like mentioned earlier, when a client does not get a non-reactive result during the screening process, he will have to undergo the normal HIV testing process for confirmation, which could take two hours.

During the waiting period, clients will be briefed about the screening process and HIV information materials will be distributed. Snacks will also be served. 

Those interested may register at go.loveyourself.ph/incognito.

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LoveYourself To Hold Men's Retreat 2016: A Non-Religious Journey to Authenticity

“Everything starts with the self.  Whatever it is that I’m doing right now is a function of my breath.  The people I’m with this very moment are part of the circumstances surrounding my birth, the choices I have made, am making, and will make.  I can neither deny nor change the fact that I operate at the center of my life.

And therefore, this is the often neglected truth and secret to my happiness - that I should be good to myself".

These words from an enlightened participant of a former Men's Retreat point to the truth of the self that one can arrive at upon core-centered introspection.  Although there is now greater acceptance of gay, bisexual, and questioning men in Filipino urban society, many of us still feel the need to hide parts of who we truly are and remain disconnected from our core. Many of us feel that we are more a victim of circumstance rather than conscious empowered beings capable of making willful choices for ourselves.

With a great (but many times unconscious) desire to conform to what we think others expect of us, we follow paths that inadvertently disconnect us from the authentic yearnings of our core. This oftentimes translates to inexplicable feelings of emptiness or being stuck, perennial thoughts of being in the wrong job or wrong career path, or recurring experiences of failed relationships.

The Men’s Retreat, through a set of non-religious activities and lecturettes done within a weekend, will use the power of self-awareness and community to enable you to appreciate where you are in your current life, identify limiting beliefs and behaviors, and chart a new and more core-connected way forward - a way that is centred in being good to oneself.

Enjoy the weekend at a hilltop retreat house just half-an-hour away from Ortigas, in a safe and affirming space designed for insightful introspection.

Join the Men’s Retreat and start your journey to authentic and wholehearted living. This will be facilitated by Master Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner and meta-coach Sheila Tan and Life Coach Chris Lagman. Workshop fee (inclusive of overnight board and lodging) is priced at 3,500PHP. Please register at go.loveyourself.ph/mensretreat.

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JOB OPENING: ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCE OFFICER BASED IN METRO MANILA

   
We are looking for an Administration and Finance Officer. Details below.

Organization: LoveYourself (VINN Advocacy for the LGBT-MSM), Inc.

Position: Administrative and Finance Officer

Contract: 6 months

Indicative Start Date: June 15, 2016 (Wednesday)

Office: Mandaluyong City

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

·       Reports directly to LoveYourself Executive Director and provides support to the leaders of the organization (LoveYourself, Inc.) by performing administrative tasks, including, executing, organizing, systematizing tasks and processes, in the day-to-day operations and projects of the organization

·       Carry out administrative, secretarial and bookkeeping duties, including preparation of check disbursements, coordinating and following-up on reimbursement and liquidation reports, and recording all financial transactions ensuring that required support documents are complete;

·       Record all financial transactions of the program in the book of accounts (i.e. CBD, CRB, GJB, GL);

• Reconcile bank account, advances, taxes, government remittances and other accounts in relation to the program;
• Prepare project staff payroll, including individual employee salary ledger;
• Maintain records and inventory control of project assets and ensure that all office equipment and services are appropriately maintained;
• Provide administrative and logistical support to other program staff and partners for organizing activities at the local level; and
• Coordinate, provide and obtain required information in a tactful manner
• Assists in coordinating event space and provide logistical support, arranging for food and beverage, arranging for audiovisual equipment, ordering or buying supplies for trainings and special events
• Prepare invitation letters for partner organizations
•  Check if all MOU (memorandum of understanding) or MOA (memorandum of agreement) are updated
• Attend to government requirements (BIR, SEC, DSWD)
•  Perform other functions as assigned by the Executive Director

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Education: College graduate with a degree in Business Administration or Accountancy or other relevant courses.
• Work Experience: Work experience: Has at least 6 months to 1-year experience of work similar to job function stated. Fresh graduates are welcome to apply.
• Other Professional Skills: Proficient in oral and written English business communication; operation of computer and other ICT equipment; and knowledge in the use of most Microsoft Office applications; and familiar with data backup procedures.
• Other Desirable Qualities: Willing to work beyond standard working hours; can work with minimal supervision; highly trainable; detail oriented; can work well with a team; with leadership potential and gender sensitive.

FAIR HIRING POLICY

LoveYourself is an equal opportunity employer and highly encourages applicants from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community who have experience in non-profit and community development work.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

Interested applicants should submit an expression of interest (EOI) letter together with the applicant’s CV/resume, via e-mail to vinn@loveyourself.ph and cc: jhaydee@loveyourself.ph, volckmann@loveyourself.ph and info@loveyourself.ph on or before June 5, 2016 (Sunday), 5:00 pm (PH time), addressed to Mr. Ronnivin G. Pagtakhan Executive Director of LoveYourself Inc. 

Technical review of documents, phone and face-to-face interviews, and written exam will be facilitated and the most qualified applicant will be contracted by LoveYourself. Please take note that this is for immediate hiring to be based in Metro Manila with expected start date on June 15, 2016.

For the hired applicant, the following documents will need to be prepared and submitted within two weeks upon hiring: SSS, TIN, Pag-IBIG and Philhealth numbers, police and NBI clearances, and medical certificate.

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LoveYourself partners with PETA in The Necessary Theatre’s production of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart

Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart will be performed by the The Necessary Theatre in a series of runs to be held at The PETA Theater Center in the month of June. The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) partners with LoveYourself in a collaborative endeavor combining theater and HIV awareness and advocacy. Discussions on HIV/AIDS to facilitate the audience’s comprehension of the play will be conducted by LoveYourself volunteers after the performance with the aim of creating dialogue and awareness on the state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Philippines.

The Normal Heart’s plot, set in 1980s New York, revolves around the efforts of Ned Weeks, a writer and gay activist who struggles to establish an organization focused on raising awareness on what was then an unidentified disease that seemed to target homosexual men. The play highlights multiple issues, from the personal to the political, from the cultural to the biomedical.

Characters in the play include a doctor/researcher who knows about the disease and works together with Ned Weeks. Championing equal rights and battling homophobia, they appeal to government agencies to budget their research on HIV/AIDS. The play also shows the vicissitudes of advocacies and organizations, with a rift forming between the rather upfront Ned Weeks and the organization’s president, Bruce Niles, who favors a more diplomatic and moderate approach to issues. On a more tearful note, Ned Weeks’ lover succumbs to HIV/AIDS and perishes towards the end of the plot, and the end of the play suggests a continual rise in the incidence of the disease.

The literary and sociological gem that is Kramer’s The Normal Heart strikes close to the heart of volunteerism three decades after the play was performed in New York City’s The Public Theater in 1985. The power and beauty of this masterpiece has touched the minds and hearts of those who have seen previous performances. Its themes of advocacy and awareness resound with the work and the challenges faced by groups such as LoveYourself, as well as with the growing HIV epidemic that the Philippines is currently facing.

LoveYourself’s partnership with PETA in the performance of The Normal Heart is a mutual edification of an experience shared by a community that is still struggling with deeply rooted perceptions and intolerance. The play sheds light to the experience of this fight, one borne chiefly out of love for the community, and for one’s personal quest for love. LoveYourself’s dialogue at the end of the play supplements this experience, and we can only hope that this collaboration will indeed be an eye-opener and an enriching experience in itself for those who will watch it.

The Normal Heart will run at The PETA Theater Center located at No. 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City on June 3 (8pm), June 4 (3pm, 8pm) and June 5 (3pm and 8pm). Ticket prices are P1,200 for VIP, P1,000 for orchestra center and balcony center, P800 for orchestra sides and P500 for balcony sides. For ticket reservations, log on to www.ticketworld.com.ph or call the PETA Theater Center office at (0927) 391 7379 or (725) 6244 loc. 23.

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