Pride flags and placards advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights were raised as the Benilde Rainbow march took place on June 27, hosted by the Benilde Student Government (BeSG). Queer people and allies alike gathered outside the Design + Arts campus (D+AC) and marched past Benilde campuses to spread awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community and their struggles.

Students, faculty and staff marched around Vito Cruz chanting slogans that highlight the strength of the queer community as well as support for the SOGIE bill. In line with Benilde’s new tagline “Free to Be,” the rainbow march affirmed how the college is a safe space for queer individuals to express themselves. 

A celebration of love and community

In his opening speech, BeSG president Joshua Castro said, “By simply spearheading love, we are already practicing every Benildean expression,” reminding us that acts rooted in love such as acceptance and solidarity go a long way as Benildean students. 

When asked what the main message of the event was about, Sir Levi Albania, Dean of the Center for Student Life (CSL), said that “This march is more than just an event, it's really an advocacy that we see inclusion, equality, and affirm that in the end every student deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported.” He also added how the event gives comfort and encouragement to those who are not out as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“The Pride March is just part of many activities to raise awareness and also create positive action,” Mr. Albania said. The rainbow march, alongside other events such as free HIV testing and the Pride gallery, hosted by Benilde Arts Management (BeAM), showed that celebrating pride is a communal effort. 

While Benilde continues to serve as a place for self-expression, the rainbow march took the College’s values of inclusion out in the open–paving the way for a future where people, regardless of their identity, are accepted and loved for who they are. 

Visibility into victory

For many Benildeans, this year’s pride march marks a rare moment when queer identities are not just tolerated, but celebrated. In a country where discrimination and misunderstanding still persist, having a visible, unapologetic celebration within the university is a powerful statement. As the crowd wound through the city streets, their footsteps echoed the collective journey of so many who have fought, and continue to fight, for the right to live freely and authentically.

In an interview with The Benildean, Tina Medina, an ID124 student from the Fashion Design and Merchandising (AB-FDM) program, shared how showing up at the march meant more than just waving a flag. “As much as I want to advocate online and on social media, it’s way different than actually showing up and being there,” Medina said. “That’s really what I wanted to do here—to make a statement.”

For Medina and many others, marches like these are not just about visibility, but about honoring history. “We need to know where we come from so that we know where to move forward. We can’t just have things be erased and just think of marches as an agenda or making a statement. It has to remind the people of what we are fighting for and what we are going to fight for in the future.”

At the heart of Medina’s message was a call for unity, especially for those who have been marginalized or misunderstood. “I’m here on behalf of the trans girls who are fighting and who have fought for our rights here,” she said. She urged everyone to look beyond their differences and support each other, emphasizing, “We have been shunned before, but we are here now and we are here being loved and cared [for] by our fellow sisters.”

Above all, Medina hopes that the community continues to spread love rather than division. “There is a bigger threat to us queers and it’s not each other. It is the others who are against us. So spread love, not hate,” she concluded.

As the colors of Pride streamed through the streets of Taft and echoed through the halls of Benilde, the message was clear: the march is not just a day of celebration, but a step in a much longer journey toward visibility, equality, and love. 

With every placard, every chant, and every hand held in solidarity, this year’s Benilde Rainbow March continues to carve out a space where everyone can truly be free to be.