December 14, 2011
A drenching downpour did not keep thousands of red-shirted students from 19 metro Manila colleges from forming a giant human AIDS awareness ribbon at the University of Santo Tomas on Dec. 4 to recognize World AIDS Day. During the opening ceremony, Gregorio Banaga, president of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, called on young people to learn about HIV/AIDS, respect the sacredness of life, love their neighbors, and offer understanding and support to those at risk of infection. The event ended with the release of 19 large red balloons, one for each college taking part.