By Cassandra Luis J. De Leon

To strengthen their calls for equal rights, Far Eastern University (FEU) Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) partnered with the widest pride network in the country, Pride PH, for the LOV3LABAN Pride Festival 2025 held at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City last June 28.

In an online interview with FEU Advocate, FEU SAGA President Neo Anthony Toralde expressed their aim in partnering with Pride PH to gain new knowledge to provide better projects related to their cause as an organization.

“FEU SAGA has been actively participating in Pride PH for the past few years… What keeps our organization to come back is to amplify our advocacies in a much larger platform such as Pride PH. Since the attendees are from different organizations, we would like to network and openly learn from them,” he said.

Moreover, Toralde highlighted that the significance of the celebration is to fight for equal rights and to lessen the discrimination experienced by the LGBTQIA+ community, especially the younger generations.

“While we celebrate our existence during the Pride Festival, we are also extending our voices to the government to take action and to include our community in their legislative agendas,” the SAGA President explained.

Among the matters raised during the event is the pending enactment of the SOGIE Equality Bill as a law.

“We are hoping that the 20th Congress will include the prioritization of the passage of the SOGIE Bill, along with the creation of gender-affirming bills that could give better opportunities for the LGBTQI+ community,” Toralde mentioned. 

The bill, aiming to provide equal opportunities for everyone regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, was first filed back in 2000 during the 11th Congress by late Senator Miriam Santiago and former Akbayan representative Loretta Rosales. 

Furthermore, he stressed the need for a better healthcare system for mental health problems, HIV and AIDS.

Last month, the Department of Health urged the declaration of HIV as a national health emergency due to the increase of cases by 500 percent for ages 15 to 25.

Toralde encouraged the green-and-gold community to participate in forwarding the causes concerning the marginalized sector’s rights.

“Tamaraws, our voices as youth are powerful when combined. We are the trailblazers of this generation, and those who fought hard before us sacrificed everything for us to enjoy the rights we're exercising today. But our fight doesn't stop in just a month, our fight for equal rights is continuous. As students, we'll make a difference and change the status quo within and beyond the university—today and tomorrow,” he stated.

LOV3LABAN is both a celebration and a protest organized by Pride PH in collaboration with the Quezon City Government, asserting calls for equality through activities such as the march of LGBTQIA+ members and allies, as well as performances by various local artists. 

(Photo courtesy of Christian Anthony Maninang)