ACC’s GAD Office Celebrates Pride Month: Promoting Inclusivity and Empowering Voices
by Rogie C. Beringuel
Joining the International Pride Month Celebration 2024, Abuyog Community College (ACC) Gender and Development (GAD) office, with its goal to promote awareness and celebrate gender diversity and inclusivity, hosted a celebration on the light to 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, featuring Hair and Makeup Artistry workshops on June 21 at ACC gymnasium.
The said event was spearheaded by Dr. Junielito Espanto, GAD coordinator and was graced by the resident local hairstylist-trainor, Ms. Jessa Manaog, makeup artist-trainor, Mr. Ritche R. Deloria, and Mr. Ric P. Jervoso, who also served as workshop facilitators.
Additionally, participants of the program included students from Gender and Society class, BSIT 2A, BSIT 2B, BSIT 2C, and from Trains and Issues class, BSED major in Social Sciences.
In the stead of Dr. Clemelle L. Montallana, college president, Dr. Espanto, in a welcome remark, mentioned how the event is a milestone for the GAD office to conduct the first-ever Pride Month Celebration.
He also shared the importance of the said celebration not only for those part of the LGBTQ+ community but for all genders.
“𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝐺𝐵𝑇𝑄 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝐶𝐶, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑓𝑓 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑎 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛—𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡, 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Lito V. Topia, in his keynote speech, emphasized how important it is to really lift up voices. He said, “𝑇𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 out, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑏𝑦 ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢.”
Moreover, in an interview with some of the participants regarding the importance of lifting every voice, Ms. Rose Mie Novio BSED 2A shared, “𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑖 𝑛𝑎 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑛 𝑚𝑔𝑎 𝐿𝐺𝐵𝑇𝑄 𝑘𝑎𝑦 𝑑𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑎𝑑 𝑘𝑎 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑑. 𝑆𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒 𝑛𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑢𝑑 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑎, 𝑑𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑎 𝑖-𝑗𝑢𝑔𝑑𝑒 𝑘𝑎𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑎𝑑 ℎ𝑎 𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑒𝑑.”
Indeed, the event became an avenue that promotes and celebrates diversity and inclusivity, lifting every voice to be heard and enhance skills in Hairstyling and Makeup Artistry. In his closing remarks, Dr. Espanto expressed his gratitude to all those who took part and made the event possible.