Breaking Boundaries: Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion at the PFIP Pride Summit 2024

[Manila, Philippines] — A vibrant mix of industry leaders, LGBTQIA+ community members, advocates, and allies came together to celebrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) at the 2024 PFIP Pride Summit — “Limitless: Inclusion Beyond Horizons,” organized by the Philippine Financial Inter-Industry Pride.

L-R: Michael Santos, PFIP Treasurer; Ian Fegalan, PFIP Trustee; Ronil Villacorta, PFIP Corporate Secretary; Cristine Breva, PFIP Trustee; Christopher Eugenio, PFIP Board of Advisor; and Weena Ekid, PFIP Chair

Held from July 30 to 31 at Shangri-La at The Fort, the two-day event—a unique platform for business leaders and innovators who are also workplace inclusion champions and advocates—generated valuable insights and key learnings on fostering safe and productive workplaces for LGBTQIA+ employees. The 2024 PFIP Pride Summit also served as a celebration of queer creativity and excellence across many industries–from corporate to the creative field.

Pride Summit Key Highlights

The 2024 PFIP Pride Summit hosted inspiring keynotes, informative presentations and dynamic breakout sessions featuring game-changers, thought leaders and leading advocates. In her keynote speech “The Limitless LGBTQ+ Filipino,” summit headliner Eva Le Queen shared inspiring stories of resilience and success. The PFIP Film Festival also showcased short films highlighting the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals across Asia.

Eva Le Queen, star of RuPaul’s Drag Race Philippines Season 1 and RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars, delivers a powerful keynote on “The Limitless LGBTQ+ Filipino,” inspiring attendees with her journey and advocacy.

Attendees also got to hear empowering and inspiring personal journeys. In “Raising Unicorns: A Guide for Parents and Guardians of Queer Children,” experts talked about navigating children’s queer identities and why acceptance must start from home. In “What Makes a Woman? Focus on Intersectional Feminism,” the discussion centered on the intersection between women empowerment and trans inclusion.

General of the Society of Trans Women of the Philippines (STRAP); and RJ Barrete, Program Manager at the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment delve into the multifaceted nature of womanhood in “What Makes a Woman? Focus on Intersectional Feminism.”

The summit also highlighted discussions on innovating for inclusivity in the workplace, community building, and industry representation. Young queer professionals excelling in their careers enjoyed the spotlight at “Defining LGBTQ+ Excellence: Out Loud and Up The Corporate Ladder.” Sessions like “Becoming #Limitless: Be Real and Be Regal” by Regal Oliva and “Going Above and Beyond (Horizons): Spotlight on Iloilo City” by Gab Umabhay highlighted community-driven initiatives, especially those outside Metro Manila.

Attendees of “Defining LGBTQ+ Excellence: Out Loud and Up The Corporate Ladder” session explore strategies for amplifying LGBTQ+ representation and success within corporate environments. (From L-R) Edgar Legal Director; International Dispute Resolution; Legal, Regulatory Affairs and Compliance of JTI, Russel Patina, Senior Public Relations Manager at Home Credit Philippines, Janlee Dungca, Managing Directress, CASTRO PR, Elle Dee, Project Lead at Reed Elsevier Philippines, and Arjhay Puod, Senior Supervisor at Dexcom Philippines

Meanwhile, “Reaching for the Sky: Advocating for Trans Equality” by Sky Teotico and “Reclaiming LGBTQ+ Narratives: From Kanal to the Main Stage” by Rodina Singh emphasized the power of LGBTQIA+ visibility and representation across all spaces and platforms. The summit concluded with the second season of the vibrant and entertaining Lip-Sync Lalaparuzza, reinforcing the message of inclusivity and acceptance.

Rodina Singh, TV and Film Director and Pride PH National Convenor, takes the stage during the plenary session “Reclaiming LGBTQ+ Narratives: From Kanal to the Main Stage,” discussing the importance of authentic representation in media.

The 2024 PFIP Pride Summit not only celebrated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—it also showcased innovative ways to create next-level approaches to DE&I programming. The event’s success goes beyond inspiring attendees to advocate for DE&I in all areas of life; it also underscores the importance of championing diversity and inclusion in society.

Join PFIP Today!

To continue supporting and amplifying efforts toward creating more inclusive policies and programs to support Filipino LGBTQ+ professionals, become a member of the PFIP today! Join a dynamic community dedicated to championing diversity and inclusion. Visit the PFIP website at https://www.pfip.com.ph/join-pfip. For sponsorship opportunities, email secretariat@pfip.com.ph.