The in-person Metro Manila Pride March and Festival scheduled in June is cancelled

The Metro Manila Pride March and Festival scheduled in June has been cancelled, due to the unfortunate effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.

"It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the cancellation of the in-person Metro Manila Pride March and Festival scheduled on June 27, 2020," the Metro Manila Pride March and Festival Working Group wrote in a statement.

"The scale of our annual gathering can bring unnecessary risks to public health and might further burden our healthcare system and other frontline services that are already struggling to respond to the effects of this pandemic," it continued.

Its tentative hosts, the Pasay City government and the Cultural Center of the Philippines already expressed their inability to cater to them, but remained open to partnership next year.

Aside from the march and festival, all in-person pre-activities and events are cancelled to prioritize "the safety of our community and our team, and the potentially enormous strain that our annual gathering can have on our healthcare system."

Pride going digital

However, this does not mean the event is completely cancelled. According to the group, the team is already working on shifting its pre-activities to digital.

"We may not fill the streets but we will still be as loud and as proud in as many digital channels as possible," the statement continued. 

Aside from the Digital Pride March and Festival on June 27, other proposed online activities include Pride Speaks Live, Twitter Parties, and movie nights.

They will also hold Hang Outs and lectures done in coordination with the organization's Human Rights, Education, and Research (HRER) working group, fundraising activities and more.

In the official statement, the organization said it had a fully lined up Pride Month 2020 calendar complete with special programming designed to allow the LGBTQIA+ community to observe the celebration despite the limitations.

"While we have applied to be part of Global Digital Pride celebrations, we would love to integrate more activities led by local LGBTQIA+ community organizations into the Pride Calendar. We may not fill the streets but our community will still be loud and proud on as many digital channels as possible. "

Although they are complying to the preventive health measures, the organization said they are remaining vigilant in the face of injustice amid the time of crisis.

“During times of crisis, marginalized groups like the LGBTQIA+ sector are the most vulnerable to violations of their human rights,” March and Festival Events Management Co-Head Jihad Mambuay said.

“As injustices happen around us in the name of peace and order, we urge everyone to stand in solidarity with other sectors as well as with our own.”

Further details on their online activities which are set to happen all throughout June will be announced on their social media pages and website.

President Rodrigo Duterte extended the enhanced community quarantine in high-risk areas up to May 15 to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).  

According to the ECQ guidelines released by the government, mass gatherings are strictly prohibited. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News