AN HIV-AIDS epidemic is a big possibility because the government has failed to allocate enough funds for contraceptives and programs aimed at preventing the spread of the disease in the country, Gabriela Women’s party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said Monday.

Ilagan, vice chairman of the House committee on women and gender equality, said the Philippines also was likely to fail to meet is sixth Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing the spread of HIV-AIDS by 2015.

She aired her concern following a 50-percent increase in new HIV infections in the past 10 years and the decreasing local and foreign funding for anti-AIDS programs in the country.

The Philippine coordinator of the United Nations Program on HIV-AIDS, Teresita Marie Bagasao, disclosed the increase in infections and the funding problem in a report in a bid to intensify the fight against HIV-AIDS.

The country has been receiving $20.4 million (about P890 million) in grants from the Global Fund to boost its not-so-successful “Getting to Zero” campaign against HIV-AIDS.

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