MANILA, Philippines – On June 26, 1994, around 50 people marched in Quezon City (QC) in what would be the Philippines’ and Asia’s first Pride march. 

Three decades later, Quezon City hopes to put the spotlight on the strides that have been made in championing LGBTQ+ rights in the Philippines through its “Love Laban 2 Everyone” Pride PH Festival on Saturday, June 22. 

“We also saw the growing public support, not only in Quezon City but all around the country, thanks to the many celebrations of Pride,” Pride PH national convenor Vince Liban said on Tuesday, June 18, during a press conference for this year’s QC Pride.

Eleven other areas, including Baguio City, Quirino, Romblon, Albay, Iloilo, Cebu City, Catarman, Magsaysay (Misamis Oriental), Iligan City, Cagayan de Oro, and Butuan City (Caraga), will simultaneously hold their own Pride marches with Quezon City on June 22 as part of the #OnePridePH initiative. 

Organizers estimated that the event would draw around 150,000 to 200,000 attendees, potentially higher than 2023’s 110,000 attendees. 

Quezon City Police District chief Brigadier General Redrico Maranan said around 2,000 police personnel would be deployed around the Quezon Memorial Circle area for crowd control and management on June 22. 

Liban said even the number of partners and volunteers for this year’s event in Quezon City had doubled. Around 146 organizations and 279 volunteers participated in 2023’s Pride PH festival. 

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said this year’s Pride march should continue to urge Philippine lawmakers to pass the SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender, identity, and expression) equality bill, which has been languishing in Congress for over two decades.

“We are one with the community for the passage of the SOGIE equality bill. Part of what we’re doing here is activism – our contribution to the fight towards finally the passage of this bill,” Belmonte said during Tuesday’s press conference. 

Pride PH was among more than 200 organizations that signed an open letter urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify the SOGIE equality bill as urgent. 

Belmonte said the upcoming Pride march and festival in Quezon City would also be a celebration of what the city has done to advocate for its LGBTQ+ citizens. This year marks 10 years since Quezon City enacted the Gender-Fair Ordinance, which prohibits acts of discrimination against LGBTQ+ members. 

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In Quezon City, Belmonte said their next step would be to institutionalize the recently launched Strategic Trans Health Access to Resources and Services program through an ordinance, similar to what the local government did with the “right to care” card in October. 

“What we are trying to impart is cities are also centers of change, and change can happen with supportive local chief executives. The fight can be in the realm of the cities,” Belmonte said.

Doors open for Metro Manila Pride

One name that would be missed in this year’s Pride festivities is the Metro Manila Pride after it announced on June 14 the cancellation of its own Pride march and parade. No specific reason was given for the cancellation as of this posting.

Liban said that Pride PH was “saddened” by Metro Manila Pride’s decision, adding that the door is open for the organization to join them as “our comrade in the fight for equality” in QC Pride.

He added that Pride PH will continue to coordinate with other organizations and local governments nationwide to hold and support their own Pride celebrations. 

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Planning to attend a Pride event? Visit this page for the full list of Pride events in the Philippines. – Rappler.com

What does Pride look like for you? Share photos of Pride activities in the new gender equality chat room of #RapplerCommunities.