The Red Whistle is an advocacy campaign that aims to respond to the alarming increase of HIV and AIDS cases in the Philippines.
The Story
The Red Whistle Campaign began as a personal advocacy of Niccolo Cosme, a mainstream photographer in the country. Niccolo was inspired by a UNAIDS representative who wore a whistle at one of the conventions he attended. The whistle, as explained to him, is used as a tool for UNAIDS to sound the alarm for disaster preparedness and prevention. This gave Niccolo an idea. He wanted to do something about the HIV- and AIDS-related deaths being reported by the Philippine National AIDS Council – where some of whom are part of his social circle.
Niccolo started buying red whistles from a bookstore, hooking them to a tag and began sporting them in social gatherings. People started to inquire about the accessory, which gave Niccolo the opportunity to engage with them about the rising epidemic.
He then started to purchase more, distributing them to his friends who also shared his belief in the advocacy. Different HIV and AIDS organizations began to approach him to collaborate… and the rest is history.
To date, The Red Whistle has become the mainstream community response to HIV and AIDS, calling on the government, institutions, and media to educate Filipinos and alleviate the spread of the epidemic.
