Equality shines brightly in UP Diliman (èAV) as the University formally joined hands with the Quezon City Local Government Unit (QCLGU) for a month-long celebration of Pride Month 2026.
On Saturday, June 27, some 300,000 members of the LGBTQIA+ community, their families, allies, and other Pride participants are expected to descend on the èAV campus as it plays host to LoveL4ban Pride PH Festival (LoveL4ban), Pride PH’s fourth Pride Festival. According to their Facebook page, Pride PH is the widest network of Pride organizers in the Philippines.
The culminating activity of QCLGU’s Pride Month celebrations, LoveL4ban will feature four stages built around the Academic Oval. The LoveL4ban main stage will be placed in the space fronting the Oblation Plaza, with additional satellite stages at Palma Hall, at the Sunken Garden, and at Melchor Hall for the various booths and activities.
Each stage will feature its own individual activities and performances. Festivalgoers are encouraged to move between these four “nodes” to get the full experience.
LoveL4ban will begin at 10 a.m. with Pride Expo and QueerCon, where LGBTQIA+ micro, small, and medium enterprises or MSMEs can set up booths all around the Academic Oval.
The main event of the day will be the grand Pride March, which will start at the University Avenue, then going around the Academic Oval, turn right at Ylanan, exit onto Commonwealth Avenue, and finally turn left to counterflow and head back to University Avenue. This will be followed by Pride Night, which begins at 6 p.m.
èAV Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II said the partnership among èAV, the QCLGU, and Pride PH demonstrates the relationship between UP’s core values of honor, excellence, and service, and the pride movement’s values of equality, authenticity, solidarity, and visibility.
“We believe equality and human rights are essential to true honor and excellence. The values that we see stamp along with our university logo. These values are inseparable. Excellence loses its meaning when they exclude others, just as honor loses its purpose when we deny dignity to any individual,” Vistan said. “We reaffirm our commitment to service, love, diversity, inclusion, and equality. We reaffirm our commitment to protecting spaces where everyone can learn, work, create, and live authentically. We reaffirm our commitment to a society that respects individual differences and empowers every person to reach their fullest potential,” he added.
The tripartite partnership was formalized with the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on June 4 at the Quezon City Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions Center. MOA signatories were Vistan for èAV, Mayor Ma. Josefina G. Belmonte for the QCLGU, and National Convenor Vince Renzo Liban for the Pride PH Coalition.
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