PRISM: SOGIE TALKS AND HIV AWARENESS

by Angelica Rose Santillan, Rotaract Club of PSBA Manila

Looking back to how the world views everyone’s differences and unique identity nowadays gives a proud feeling and self-pride as the society continuously accepts the fact that there is still a lot to see beyond the spectrum of what we used to believe when it comes to one’s identity.

As part of taking pride and celebrating PRIDE Month, the Rotaract Club of Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA) - Manila, in partnership with Rotaract Club of PSBA Volunteers, conducted a virtual event last June 26, 2022, entitled, PRISM: SOGIE TALKS and HIV Awareness. This event is part of the culmination of the Rotaract Club of PSBA-Manila as they also welcome the new Rotary Year ahead of time. Together with the attendees from PSBA-Manila and outside the school, and with the help of guest speakers, they attained the event’s primary goal: to enhance everyone’s knowledge and awareness regarding SOGIE and HIV. Having Ms. Roda Tajon (SOGIE Talks Speaker) and Mr. Bryan Galvez (HIV Awareness Speaker) helped as they awakened everyone’s attention, considering that the event happened in the morning on a weekday. Both speakers did a great job sharing various significant points on their topics. The attendees also had the chance to ask specific questions to the speakers, which the latter answered with the best of their knowledge and in a way that would be easy for everyone to understand. With the event coming to an end, it was easy to assume that there is still a lot that people need to know regarding SOGIE and HIV to understand that those two are already part of society, and there is nothing that they can do to change it. All they have to do is, if not accept, maybe at least respect it. Also, the Rotaract Club of PSBAManila was so grateful to everyone who participated in their first event, especially to PSBA-Volunteers who partnered with them, to the guest speakers who helped make the event possible and fruitful, and of course, to their attendees who made everything more eventful.

Finally, the club wishes that those people walking by the thread of social criticism will slowly reach the point where they will not be afraid anymore to show who they truly are and take pride because they matter and always belong to the circle.