Marching with Pride: South Cotabato’s LGBTQIA+ Voices Rise in Lakat Kahilwayan

 

photo from Lakat Kahilwayan 2024

In celebration of Pride Month, the Hilway Organization will hold its annual “Lakat Kahilwayan” on June 29, 2025, at Rizal Park in Koronadal City.

Recognized as South Cotabato’s annual Pride celebration, Lakat Kahilwayan is a powerful gathering where members of the LGBTQIA+ community come together to celebrate their journeys, uplift each other’s stories, and affirm their rightful place in society. It is a day of visibility, joy, and solidarity, rooted in the belief that everyone deserves to live freely and authentically.

The event aims to create a safe and empowering space where LGBTQIA+ individuals can express themselves freely; raise awareness about key issues such as HIV, mental health, and social stigma; promote collaboration with government and private institutions; and honor the community’s contributions to a more progressive, compassionate, and inclusive South Cotabato.

“Lakat Kahilwayan is more than a celebration, it’s a symbol of progress,” said Hilway Organization Founder Dan Joseph Zapanta Rivera.

“It shows that South Cotabato is ready to evolve, embrace diversity, and protect the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of gender or orientation.”

The event also serves as a venue for peaceful activism and collective solidarity, where voices are heard, stories are shared, and love is affirmed as a force for change.

Lakat Kahilwayan is derived from two words in Hiligaynon: "lakat," meaning to walk or march, and "kahilwayan," meaning freedom or liberation.

As the proud organizer of the only Pride March in South Cotabato, the Hilway Organization remains open to collaboration with other groups, local government units (LGUs), and community leaders, particularly in advocating for local resolutions that will institutionalize Pride celebrations across the province.

“Lakat Kahilwayan has been proudly marching for three years now. And while each year has brought success, the challenges continue to grow,” Rivera shared.

“That’s why we need you to walk with us. To show that love is louder than hate. That community is stronger than division. And that Pride is not just a celebration, it’s a protest of love.”

“Together, let’s make South Cotabato a home where no one is left behind—and where love always wins.”

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