08/07/2025
๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง| Pasamak, Kapanunotan, ken Panangrisut
๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐บ: ๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ๐
๐๐บ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ณ๐ข ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐๐ช๐ท๐ข
"๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ด ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ง๐ต ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ฌ?"
Ito lang naman ang mga questions na nagra-run sa mind ko nang malaman ko ang news na walang Bahaghari sa Sulo.
Like, bakit ako affected e โdi naman ako member ng LGBTQIA+++ community? Pero honestly, if you ask me kasiโnakakalungkot pa rin, and at some point, disheartening din. Because the very character that once stood for hope, courage, pride, and inclusion is now being shoved back into the shadows it bravely stepped out from.
๐ฆ๐ผ, ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ?
Bigyan kita ng context for your own understanding.
Every year, all Philippine Normal University (PNU) campuses celebrate the Pagdiriwang ng Sulo, or Torch ceremony. Oh, di ba shala ang PNU may pa ganito pa! Parang JS prom lang ang peg sa Sulo, pero mas taimtim ang ceremony.
So, you know, this annual tradition marks the symbolic passing of the torch and the key of responsibility from graduating students to third-year students. And syempre, sa seremonya, may pa-showcase ng mga emblematic figures such as Inang Pamantasan, Juan Dela Cruz, Inang Bayan, Lakambini, and Lakanโand each of them represents values deeply rooted in the identity and mission of PNU. Like, hindi sila basta-basta na characters na parang display lang sa pelikula.
So, โyon na nga. Last year kasi, PNUNL surprisingly introduced a new character na never pang na-sight sa history at long-standing tradition ng NL.
๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ต๐ค๐ฉ ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐บ?
Yes, korique. Itโs the character of Bahaghari --- the vibrant ROYGBIV. So aside from the usual institutional figures, nagkaroon nga ng makulay na symbol ang mga LGBTQIA+++ community, at pati na rin ang mga marginalized sectors sa katayuan niya.
Basta, in essence, siya si Bahaghari --- the iconic symbol and voice of those often unheard, and the light for those who were pushed into the darkness.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ก๐? ๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ?
But just as that light had begun to shine, it was quietly, painfully, dimmed. Unfortunately, Bahaghari did not stand with the emblematic figures in this yearโs Pagdiriwang ng Sulo.
Yes, tama. Nakakalungkot, โdi ba? At nakakaloka!
But hereโs the thing about this yearโs Torch Ceremony in PNUNL: nawala si Bahaghari, pero may mga bagong karakter na lumitaw:
Si Inang Katutubo--- the symbol of the indigenous peoples and the PNUNLโs status as an IP Hub, and Inang Kalikasan---an embodiment of PNUโs environmental advocacy.
Paliwanag naman ni Dr. Agnes Reyes, the Executive Director and Provost, PNUNL did not permanently remove Bahaghari. Sabi pa niya, the rise of the new characters, like Inang Katutubo, is to celebrate the IP Hubness of NL, at hindi naman talaga nawalan ng representation ang LGBTQIA+++ dahil si Inang Katutubo is also a general symbol of inclusivity---kaya nga nabanggit din sa speech ng bagong karakter na ito ang mga marginalized sectors gaya ng mga miyembro ng LGBTQIA+++ community.
โIyon siguro ang hindi na-explain ng maigi kasi ang tingin nila siguro in-out na natin ang LGBTQIA+, nag-iba lang tayo ng representativeโฆHindi natanggal ang representation ng mga LGBTQIA+ because namention naman siya sa speech ni Inang Katutubo,โ saad ni Dr. Reyes sa isang interview.
Sa madaling talk, ang karakter ni Inang katutubo ay inklusibo rin for the qu**rs.
๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
But Bahaghari is more than just a mention in a script.
While Inang Kalikasan and Inang Katutubo may be a celebration of everything that PNUNL wants to showcase --- environmental advocacy, the indigenous peoples, its IP Hubness, and inclusivity --- a brief mention of the LGBTQIA+++ community can never equate to genuine representation.
To assert that the LGBTQIA+ community remains represented simply because it was โmentionedโ in a new characterโs speech undermines what Bahaghari stood for. Representation is not a checkbox to be ticked off, nor can it be achieved by generalizations. It is an intentional, dedicated spaceโone where identities as underrepresented as the LGBTQIA+++ community are not just acknowledged but dignified, centered, and celebrated.
At iba ang karakter, mensahe, at simbolo ni Bahaghari. Their character stood as the colorful embodiment of the lived truth and experiences of the struggles, resilience, and pride of the marginalized, particularly, the qu**rs.
Kaya para sa aming mga mag-aaral, the removal of Bahaghari proved PNUNLโs true pulse: one that tolerates q***rness in the quiet corners, but refuses to acknowledge that q***r identities deserve dedicated space, full visibility, and genuine representation within the campus.
But just to be klaro, Inang Katutubo and Inang Kalikasan are important and powerful figures in their own right. True naman that championing Indigenous rights and environmental advocacy must remain central to any institution aspiring for relevance and social justice.
We need them, but we need Bahaghari as much.
So, this is truly no longer about choosing which cause matters more. True inclusivity does not pit advocacies against each other; instead, it recognizes intersectionality. And Bahaghari represented that complex, beautiful convergenceโwhere q***rness intersects with disability, indigeneity, and marginalization.
๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด ๐ป๐ฎ ๐บ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐บ
Maraming questions ang nagra-run talaga sa aking mind ngayon.
โ๐๐ข๐ด ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ?โ โ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ-๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฏ?โ โ๐ ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ณ๐บ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ช๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ด ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ?โ โ๐๐ข๐ด ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ?โ
The joy we felt when being acknowledged last year has turned into disillusionment. Kaya naman nang malaman kong wala na si Bahaghari sa Sulo, na-feel kong hindi lang representasyon ang nawala, maging ang mga karakter na kanyang kinakatawan, mensahe na kanyang ipinaparating, at maging ang simbolo na kanyang dinadala ay nawala rin kasama niya.
Kaya naman, if PNUNL truly wants to uphold inclusivity, it must understand that genuine acceptance means more than occasional nods and symbolic substitutions. It means recognizing the need for explicit and consistent representation. It means standing with underrepresented communities, not just when it's convenient or popular, but when it's uncomfortable and necessary.
Ayon nga kay Mark Justin Palpallatoc, the first-ever Bahaghari, the Pagdiriwang ng Sulo is more than about passing the torch and responsibilities, it is about giving light to the voices that have long been silenced.
Sa ngayon, Bahaghari still stands as a beacon for those silenced in the shadowsโpero we have to admit it with an achy-breaky heart that Bahaghari is also that light once more concealed by darkness.
And until it shines againโunapologetically and proudlyโwe must continue to ask:
๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐บ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ฌ?
