Vice President Sara Duterte is scheduled to grace the Kasarilyaan 2025, the Office of the Vice President’s annual Pride Reception, on Wednesday, June 25, in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
Kasarilayaan is celebrated each year by the OVP during Pride Month to honor the ongoing efforts toward inclusivity, equality, and empowerment of the LGBTQIA+ community.
This year’s reception will gather community leaders, advocates, and allies at the Laus Group Event Centre located on LGC Boulevard within the Laus Group Complex on Jose Abad Santos Avenue in San Fernando City.
The OVP said that “Kasarilayaan” is a combination of “kasarian” (gender) and “kalayaan” (freedom), symbolizing the celebration of the freedom to love, live, and express oneself, regardless of gender identity.
Since its inception in 2022, the OVP has held Kasarilayaan as a Pride Month event aimed at uplifting LGBTQIA+ voices, promoting dialogue, and strengthening calls for equality and inclusion within Filipino society.
This year’s theme is “Unity in Diversity: Harmonizing Efforts Towards Inclusive Futures.” The program will start at 10 a.m.
“Every day, countless LGBT Filipinos contribute not only their exceptional talent and expertise but also a transformative courage that strengthens our families, enriches our communities, and elevates our government institutions. This courage—to live truthfully despite obstacles—extends beyond individual lives. It challenges our entire society to embrace honesty, authenticity, and inclusion in all that we do,” said Duterte.
“Let us work together to build a Philippines where diversity is recognized not as incidental but essential to our national character. A place where human dignity needs no justification, and where the courage to face adversity is regarded as the highest expression of Filipino resilience,” she added.
Duterte returned to the Philippines on Tuesday, June 24, following a personal trip to Melbourne, Australia.
Her visit to Australia came after a trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she participated in the Independence Day celebration and engaged in a program consultation with overseas Filipino workers.
Duterte is facing seven articles of impeachment. She was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, and those articles were transmitted to the Senate on the same day.
