Pasig Pride March 2023: So Fetch! Highlights
‘Umaagos ang pantay-pantay na pag-asa’ (Equal hope flows)—Pasig Pride March 2023’s slogan and city’s new vision. Showcasing the flamboyant queer flags and cultural festivities, Pasig’s pride month celebration truly lives up to its ambition. The pride march held on June 25, 2023, is the city’s second edition, having its first on June 27, 2022.
Loud and proud, the following are the Pasig Pride March 2023’s highlights exhibiting another milestone for our Pasigueño queer siblings:
The Registration
The registration ran from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the afternoon where participating barangays had their designated form. Free snacks and shirts were also distributed to all participants provided by sponsors.
Some are selling accessories and merchandise within the area. I bought a rainbow-colored fan and a sticker while roaming and waiting for the short program before the parade. The sellers even gave me a free sticker!
In the opening program, representatives from each barangay were given a chance to introduce the festival they picked to render. Afterward, Mayor Vico Sotto gave his short message of appreciation to the attendees.
The Parade
When the clock struck 3:00 pm, the Philippine Festival-themed parade started at Caruncho Avenue. Pasigueño queers flaunted their artistry by dressing in creative costumes accompanied by troupes and ensembles.Â
Festivals represented per barangay were: Panagbenga of Baguio for Bagong Ilog; Guling Guling of Paoay, Ollocos Norte for Bagong Katipunan; Buyugan Festival of Abuyog, Leyte for Bambang; Pamulinawen of Laoag, Ilocos Norte for Buting; Hermosa of Zamboanga for Caniogan; Lubi-Lubi of Leyte for Dela Paz; Masskara of Bacolod for Kalawaan and Rosario; Sampaguita of San Pedro, Laguna for Kapasigan.
Kahimunan of Butuan for Malinao; Bonok-Bonok of Surigao for Manggahan; Dinagyang of Iloilo for Maybunga; Ati-Atihan of Aklan for Oranbo and San Nicolas; Saulog of Bohol for Palatiw; Sinulog of Cebu for Pinagbuhatan; Coconut festival of Laguna for Pineda. Sibug-Sibug of Zamboanga for San Antonio; Megayon of Zamboanga del Sur for Sagad; Balayong of Palawan for San Joaquin; Pintados of Tacloban for San Miguel; Naligayan of Agusan for Santolan; Sumakah of Antipolo for Sta. Cruz; Pamulinawen of Ilocos Norte for Sta.Lucia;
SumBingTik of Cainta for Sto. Tomas; Kadayawan of Davao for Sta. Rosa; Sublian of Batangas for Sumilang; Tuna of General Santos for Ugong.
The parade ended in Arcovia City where the main program took place.
Invoking the call for equality
Pride is a protest. The very essence of the Pasig Pride March is to project the fight for equality of the LGBTQIA+ community. Battling against gender prejudices may be far from over. However, witnessing how the community thrives in taking shape and space in this conservative society is imperative.
Pride is a protest. The very essence of this event is to project the fight for equality of the LGBTQIA+ community. Battling against gender prejudices may be far from over. However, witnessing how the said community thrives in taking shape and space in this conservative society is truly awe-inspiring.
Announced in the main program was the establishment of the Pasig City Pride Council and implementation of the Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Ordinance (CADO). Now, the council has a voice in every decision-making to any related policies concerning the LGBTQIA+ sector. Further, it will ensure the CADO’s effectiveness and push programs in its accordance. Both the council and ordinance were effective that same day.
Meanwhile, Pasigueño queers fearlessly expressed their Manifesto on the issues their community continuously facing. Carrying their slogans and flags, they demanded Edukasyon para sa lahat (Education for all); Monitoring and addressing homophobic and transphobic hate crimes; Implementing anti-discrimination ordinance; Mental, emotional, and physical wellness programs for the LGBTQIA+ community; and equal access to public services.
Nica del Rosario’s Performance
A singer-songwriter and a proud queer, Nica hyped the crowd with ‘Balang Araw’, a song she composed last year. The heartfelt song is an aspiration that someday, one can love and be loved freely, regardless of gender without judgment. Of course, the crowd did not miss requesting her hit song Rosas.
Other performers were House of Xilhouette and Lola Divas, Pow Chavez, Lady Morgana, and Mela Habijan.
Outstanding Pride of Pasig Awardees
Awards were given to Pasigueño LGBTQIA+ members who brought pride and made a remarkable contribution in their respective fields. The recipients were: Rica and Don Brook for special citation award; Alex Melendez, the founding president and overall coordinator of the first LGBTQIA+ organization in Pasig; Director Perci Intalan, the individual behind the movies anchored in representing queer community namely The Panti Sisters, Die Beautiful, etc.; Attorney Dinna Paulino, a human rights advocate and prosecutor of abuse cases among women and children with 95% conviction rate; New president of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig (PLP) Dr. Gliserio Reggie Maningas; Renowned fashion designer Nardie Presa. Concurrently, Arcovia City received the “Pride Ally of the Year” award. The nomination was conducted from June 13 to 18 and was the basis of grantees’ selection during the evaluation process.
Out of 30 barangays, three received a prize for their superb creativity during the march. Hailed the best barangay was Palatiw, Manggahan as 1st runner up, and Rosario as 2nd runner up. The cash prizes given were 30,000, 20,000, and 10,000, respectively.
