Welcoming tourists, day travelers, and locals alike at the very mouth of the City of Vigan, where the Ilocos Sur Provincial Capitol and Provincial Farmers Livelihood Development Center lie side by side, are rows and rows of Pride flags proudly waving on the Govantes Dike leading to the heart of the heritage city.
As one reaches the Old Capitol building, facing the Dancing Fountain is the Pride Ark installation of the Provincial Youth Development Office (PYDO), where not only LGBTQIA+, but also allies of the community are free to take photos or shoot their reels and TikTok videos.
It is a vibrant arc of seven panels painted with the complete colors of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—as a symbol of diversity.
This even-more-radiant-arc is illuminated in the evening for the 2024 month-long Pride celebration.
Kira, who identifies as bisexual, said she is very grateful for the show of support for the community from the government, despite the irrefutable fact that in many generations before, they have suffered prejudice, discrimination, and constant bullying.
She said, “As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I think right now, it is only because of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill that we are allowed to express ourselves freely.”
Olivia Marie Ibatuan, the provincial youth development officer, eagerly shared the activities for Pride Month, which are mostly done on the weekends.
These include the SOGIE mentorship, which is a key messaging workshop for youth leaders, including librarians.
“We invited the librarians as well to orient them on SOGIE and, more importantly, on the use of storybooks that relate to accepting oneself, individuality, and identity for children,” she said.
Their office also held the Amazing Pride Race: BEKIrerahan at TOMBalakasan on June 15, incorporating the culture and tradition of the province to showcase the beauty of its tourism sites and the scrumptious Ilocano delicacies and products.
Carl Suday, a member of the team that snatched first place in the race, expressed his glee over the activity.
He said it was a great and memorable experience for him and everyone else who participated in that race.
“We’re so proud to say that our provincial government gave us the opportunity to celebrate our colors and our identity for the 2024 Pride Month,” he said.
Suday also commended the PYDO for organizing the race, where they not only celebrated their uniqueness but were also given the chance to make and try different products and crafts from the province.
“Agyamankami unay gapo ta saannakami nga idumduma ti gobierno-tayo no di ketdi ibilbilang nakami a maysa nga anak; a kanayon nakami supsuportaran ti aniaman nga programa nga agserbi para iti community-mi,” he said.
(We are grateful that the provincial government does not treat us differently, but they always support the programs that serve our community.)
He shared his hopes for the government to create a bigger organization for LGBTQIA+, one that will focus on the needs of the community and will help expand the programs, projects, and policies of the municipal organizations to cater to the province as a whole.
Omar Jandoc, Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson of Calaoan, Santa Cruz, said, “In celebrating Pride Month, we conducted a color fun run in our community to reiterate the ceaseless fight for equality and acceptance.”
He said that no matter the preferences and identities of every individual, an inclusive and just society where everyone is free to love and live truly is not an impossible dream.
The annual Pride Month is a resounding reminder to continue pushing for equality and inclusivity in the province.
The PYDO strengthened this year’s celebration of Pride Month to amplify the presence and voice of the community, to showcase their strengths and unique abilities, and to bring people closer together; from the members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the allies, and even the skeptical individuals.
“We’re hoping in the future that we will not need these divisions and labels because everyone is seen as equal—there is no superior or inferior, just one community of people wanting to progress and develop as individuals and together for the greater good,” Ibatuan quipped.
While the month-long festivities might end, the fight for genuine acceptance continues.
As the provincial government also hopes, may each of us care enough to feel their struggles, hear their screams, and see them for the human beings that they are—equally capable of loving and deserving to be loved. (AMB/ATV/VGS, PIA Ilocos Sur)
