With the theme “Rising Tide: LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Extraordinary Times,” the Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) successfully held its annual Pride Summit on June 4, 2025, at Shangri-La The Fort, gathering hundreds of advocates, business leaders, policymakers, and community members in a strong show of support for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in the workplace and beyond.
This year’s summit—one of PFIP’s largest and most impactful to date—delivered a powerful message: the push for LGBTQ+ inclusion is not only necessary, but urgent.
“Waves are inevitable and unstoppable. A rising tide can be a force of destruction, but it can also lift all boats,” said PFIP Chair Angelo Camaya in his opening keynote. “It reminds us that inclusion is not a zero-sum game. When we uplift the LGBT+ community, we help uplift everyone.”
Camaya described the present moment as an “extraordinary” time marked by political shifts, global uncertainty, and evolving understandings of leadership and identity. He urged attendees to move forward together.
“The rising tide is here. The question is: will you face it alone, or will we ride it together?” he added.
A Call for Legislative Action
Among the summit’s highlights was a stirring keynote by Akbayan Representative Percival Cendaña, who reiterated the need to pass the long-delayed SOGIE Equality Bill, which has languished in Congress for over two decades.
“We have been fighting for 25 years. A rising tide of resistance is building in the grassroots,” Cendaña said. “Let’s ride this rising tide of advocates and champions to push forward and break glass ceilings. Let these 25 years of frustration, hope, and love be our preparation for the day we can say, ‘Sa wakas, buti na lang hindi tayo tumigil.’”
Cendaña emphasized the role of organizations like PFIP in empowering inclusive leadership and community mobilization, especially in the face of growing backlash and legislative inertia.
Global Support for Equality
Ambassador of Spain to the Philippines, as well as the concurrent Ambassador to Palau and the Marshall Islands Ambassador Miguel Utray Delgado shared his insights on the success of DEIB initiatives in Spain, which serves as one of the benchmark countries in recognition of LGBTQI+ rights, starting as the first country anywhere in the world where same sex couples can marry under the same conditions and rights as heterosexual couples.
“According to different studies and surveys, Spain is one of the countries with the greatest social acceptance of gender and family diversity. We take pride as a country and society that is respectful and committed to inclusion, diversity and tolerance.”
The spillover positive derivative of inclusion is its economic impact, he says, as LGBTI+ tourism brings in $8 Billion a year.
Echoing this call for inclusion was UN Resident Coordinator to the Philippines Arnaud Peral, who affirmed the United Nations’ full support for the SOGIE Equality Bill.
“At the UN, we believe no one should be left behind—not in their problems, not in their dignity, and certainly not in the workplace,” Peral said. “Inclusion is a foundation for peace and for human rights.”
He praised the summit’s theme, describing tides as “natural, constant, and unstoppable”—a metaphor for the global movement toward equality. “But tides must be guided by a wind of collective will, a compass of justice, and an anchor of empathy,” he added.
Bryan Belco of the International Labor Organization joined a panel discussion with Rep. Cendana, Amb. Delgado, and UN Rep. Peral on ‘Adapting DEIB to the Current Climate’. The panel was moderated by PANTAY Chairperson Thysz Estrada.
Corporate Commitment to Inclusion
The summit also featured a showcase of Bahaghari Awardees, with Ana Lorena Dela Cruz, Talent Strategy Lead for Culture, Inclusion, and Diversity at Accenture, underscoring the business case for inclusion.
“Inclusion doesn’t just help LGBTQ+ employees—it lifts entire teams and organizations,” she said. “Start now. Start messy. Start with heart.”
Accenture Philippines was named Company of the Year at the 2024 Bahaghari Awards.
Dela Cruz was joined by other awardees, Maria Theresa Claudio of Sunlife Philippines who was LGBTQ+ Leader of the Year 2024 and Coy Macaspac-Ordoñez of Northern Trust Corporation who was recognized as Executive Ally of the Year 2024.
Shared experiences towards workplace implementation
Panel discussions served to underscore the importance of continuous discission as the LGBTQ+ community charts its course of representation and inclusion that goes beyond the workplace.
The theme “Waves of Change: Lessons, Leadership, and the Future of LGBTQ+ Inclusion” was dissected into five topics: A Pride Network’s Journey: Building, Growing, and Sustaining Inclusive Impact at Work; Queering the Workplace: Reimagining HR Systems Beyond Binary Norms; ‘Stories of Pride: Synergizing Leadership Support and Trans Excellence; Together, We Shine: Role Models, Storytelling, and the Power of Visibility in LGBTQ+ Inclusion; and Next-Gen Pride: Understanding LGBTQ+ Voices in Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Attendees were likewise able to take part in focused discussions on Embracing the Complexity of Intersecting Identities; Pride and Progress: Philippine Companies on their DEIB Journey; and Inclusion & Diversity: Embracing the Complexity of Intersecting Identities.
A helpful talk was likewise held by the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, which equipped attendees with the tools to prevent and combat online bullying.
Pride as Protest
Community advocate and host Jervi Li Wrightson reminded attendees that Pride is not merely a celebration—it is rooted in protest and activism.
“Pride is more than a parade or rainbow flag. It is a demand—for equal rights, for dignity, for recognition,” she said. “Despite progress, the gap remains in our laws. DEIB is not optional. It is essential.”
Legal and Intersectional Inclusion
Legal expert Atty. Lorna Kapunan of Kapunan & Castillo Law Office delivered a call to action for both employers and communities to take intersectional inclusion seriously.
“No one is free until we are all free,” she said. “We must listen deeply, audit our spaces, build inclusive policies, and challenge our assumptions.”
Looking Ahead
Closing the summit, PFIP Vice Chair Ian Fegalan stressed the importance of future-proofing the movement.
“We need to stop putting more barriers between us,” he said. “As we celebrate the rising tide, we must also ensure that we are ready to grow with the times.”
A Movement in Motion
The PFIP Pride Summit 2025 reinforced the organization’s position as a leader in workplace inclusion and LGBTQ+ advocacy in the Philippines. As the summit came to a close, the call was clear: the tide has risen—and it’s time to rise with it.
