More than a celebration, Pride has always been a call to action. This spirit echoed powerfully at The March Continues, a post-Pride gathering hosted by the Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) at Shangri-La Fort Manila, where LGBTQIA+ leaders, organizations, and allies came together to ensure that the momentum of June continues throughout the year.
“The March Continues”
Opening the event, PFIP Chair Angelo Camaya welcomed the diverse audience of advocates, changemakers, and allies.
“Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat and welcome to ‘The March Continues,’ our post-Pride Month gathering of champions, changemakers, and community builders from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum,” said Camaya.
He expressed gratitude to the community for showing up with both presence and purpose. “On behalf of PFIP – Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride, I want to thank each and every one of you, our community leaders, allies, advocates, and friends for showing up today, not just in presence, but in purpose. We gather here in the spirit of celebration, collaboration, and most importantly continuity.”
Camaya looked back at Pride Month 2025 with pride and admiration for the community’s work. “June was nothing short of historic. Together, we painted streets, stories, and spaces with color and courage. We saw Pride marches reclaim public space with louder voices and bigger crowds than ever before. We initiated new policies and campaigns, created new employee resource groups, and community initiatives that pushed forward our vision of equality in every workplace, in every home, and in every corner of society,” he said.
He then urged participants to take a moment to honor one another. “I would like to congratulate everyone for all that you did during the Pride Month,” added Camaya.
But the PFIP Chair reminded everyone that visibility is just the beginning. “What we celebrate today isn’t just visibility it’s impact. It’s the new lives touched. The policies rewritten. The allies activated. And every step forward is a step we took together,” he said.
Calling The March Continues more than just an event, Camaya declared it as a living commitment. “The March Continues is not just an event it’s a commitment. We know that true change takes more than a month it takes a movement. And movements thrive on unity, even in our diversity,” he said.
Camaya concluded his opening with a challenge to every advocate present: “The fight for lasting inclusion doesn’t end with a parade — it begins where the spotlight fades. It continues in conversations like this. It continues — with us. So as we open today’s program, I ask each of you: What will you march for — now that Pride Month has ended? Who will you march with — when the crowds thin out? And how will your march continue — even when no one is watching?”
Rest, Reflect, and Rise Again
In his closing recap, PFIP Trustee Earl Tan emphasized that sustaining advocacy requires not just passion, but also rest and reflection.
“I just want to recap what we did this afternoon,” said Tan. “We started by hearing from you and getting to know one another: Who you are, what you do, and why you march. And so thank you for your presence, we really appreciate it especially those who traveled far to get here. So many different sectors and areas of the LGBTQ+ advocacy were represented, and I am so inspired, and I am filled with so much hope, strength, and renewed purpose.”
He then reminded the community that it is okay to pause after the whirlwind of Pride Month. “I just want to take a moment to remind ourselves to take pause and rest after all the busyness of June Pride Month. Let us all take a breath — as advocates it is very important to take a pause, rest and recover, then laban uli,” said Tan.
But even in pausing, Tan encouraged reflection and forward planning. “As you reflect on the current state of the advocacy, I encourage you to count your wins, your achievements, your accomplishments, and recognize our continued challenges and remember your why — why you march, what will you march for, who will you march with, how you will continue to march,” he added.
Strength, he noted, is found in unity. “This afternoon, I hope that you made new connections and that you continue to foster the relationships you have built previously. I encourage you to find opportunities where you have shared purpose and take on our shared challenges together because we are definitely stronger if we march together,” said Tan.
He closed with PFIP’s assurance of solidarity. “And as we continue to fight in the advocacy, know that PFIP marches with you, and that we have each other and so let’s all continue the march together. On behalf of PFIP, thank you all for coming!”
CHR’s Commitment to Equality
Representing government institutions, Atty. Faydah Dumarpa, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights, reaffirmed the CHR’s role as a steadfast ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“On behalf of the Commission on Human Rights, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) and all participating LGBTQIA organizations for holding The March Continues — a space that reaffirms an enduring truth: the struggle for equality does not begin and end in June,” said Dumarpa.
She emphasized that LGBTQIA+ advocacy must go beyond symbolic days and events. “As the National Human Rights Institution and Gender Ombud under the Magna Carta of Women, we welcome these continuing conversations about our shared struggles and advocacies. These include the long overdue SOGIE Equality Bill, the Right to Care Bill, the Cagandahan Bill, and the proposed bill on legal gender-recognition. Our shared efforts remind us that the fight for equality must go beyond Pride Month, the IDAHOBIT, or the TDOR. We advocate for equal rights and dignity all year round,” Dumarpa said.
She also tied this to the Commission’s theme for the year. “This year, the Commission’s Pride 2025 theme is Celebrate Pride, Champion Rights: SOGIE Equality Now. For us, this is more than a call — it is a continuing commitment. We remain steadfast in our support for the passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill and in ending discrimination wherever it exists, including in workplaces and institutions. We are committed to championing rights and equal dignity for all,” she added.
Commissioner Dumarpa praised PFIP’s launch of the Bahaghari Awards 2025. “For this reason, we warmly welcome and commend PFIP’s launch of the Bahaghari Awards for 2025 — an initiative that recognizes excellence and promotes inclusion. Recognizing individuals and organizations that advance LGBTQIA rights in the workplace is more than symbolic — it is transformative. By uplifting those who lead with pride, courage, and purpose, we set stronger standards of equity, leadership, and accountability across all sectors,” she said.
She ended with a promise of solidarity. “As the country’s national human rights institution, the Commission will continue to stand with the LGBTQIA community and work toward the full protection and promotion of your rights. The CHR’s commitment goes beyond Pride Month — we are your ally all year round, until we eliminate discrimination and achieve a society that is truly free and equal. Let us continue to march forward together — with pride, and for equality,” said Dumarpa.
A Movement, Not a Month
By the close of The March Continues, one message had become unmistakably clear: Pride is not confined to parades or a single month of the year. It is a movement built on courage, solidarity, and relentless advocacy.
As Camaya reminded the community: “No single organization, no single leader, no single moment can carry this torch alone. But together we are powerful beyond measure.”
And as the leaders, advocates, and allies left Shangri-La Fort Manila, they carried with them not just memories of Pride, but a renewed commitment — to keep the march alive, to keep pushing forward, and to ensure that equality is not only celebrated, but truly lived.
