Mandaue’s Pride March returns on June 26 after 2-year absence

The LGBTQIA community in Mandaue City has lined up several activities in line with its celebration of Pride Month including the return of Pride March.

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Mandaue City will again conduct a Pride March as part of its celebration of Pride Month.

The highly anticipated Pride March will make its comeback on June 26 at the Mandaue City Heritage Plaza.

The activity was not held for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mandaue City started to hold the Pride March in 2018 where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersexuals, and Allies (LGBTQIA) members marched alongside rainbow-colored floats on the streets of the city.

Lawyer Regal Oliva, the head organizer, and city treasurer said they decided to conduct physical activities again to see each other and celebrate together.

Mandaue City being under Alert Level 1 status, now allows physical gatherings.

“We all miss celebrating together, we all miss being together, it is very difficult being proud of yourself and being alone in the house, yes, we have zoom events last year but it’s difficult that you cannot interact, physically, join, be happy, and witness it and that’s why we come back to a physical activity like this and be part of a community as a whole because we are human beings,” said Oliva.

Organizers said that minimum health protocol such as the wearing of face masks will be observed.

Kristian Marc Cabahug, executive director of the Mandaue Investment Promotions and Tourism Action Center (MIPTAC) added that they are also closely coordinating with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and will be joining the different activities.

Aside from the Pride March, a transgender conference will also be conducted on Saturday, June 11 at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.

The event hopes to raise awareness and share the best practices and best things to do and how to be safe in their lifestyle in order to protect their health as they transition to being a woman or a man.

Moreover, from June 11 to 30, everyone can enjoy and visit their pride month exhibit at the city’s sports complex.

The exhibit showcases the icons who had contributed to the LGBT community as an ally or as a personality who promoted visibility and help solve social ills in terms of helping in solving problems such as economic and social, the history of the Pride Mandaue City Culture, and the movement of the LGBT, Dimitri Cortes, the event’s adviser, and organizer said.

Oliva said they continue to fight for the passage and approval of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (Sogie) Equality Bill in Congress and Senate.

Oliva is calling on other cities and municipalities and the Cebu province to craft or adopt the city’s LGBT code.

Mandaue City hailed as the LGBT capital of the South is always known for being a safe haven for the LGBTQIA community.

Other activities that will be conducted this month are pride flag raising, pride ball, Mandaue City SOGIE forum, SOGIE Seminar for Mandaue employees, and PTA Seminar: SOGIE Discussion.

All activities are open to everyone.

“This year is a different year for Mandaue City. We mark this as a Year of Pride. Pride because the is one of the first cities to have fully accepted the people with diverse SOGIE of the LGBTQIA community.

Proof of that is the fact that in 2014, we had the most comprehensive ordinance that aims to protect the LGBTQIA community of the city,” Oliva added.    /rcg

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