Bohol Celebrates 1st LGBTQIA Community Unity Day

With flamboyant & outlandish costumes, drum & bugle corps & floats from Nissan Motors, it was easily one of the most spectacular and most colorful sights to greet kibitzers and motorists alike. Dubbed the 2019 LGBTQIA + Community Pride Parade, it was one of the highlights of the one- day celebration of LGBTQIA Unity Day celebration that attracted and united the active LGBTQ groups all over Bohol.

Miss Panglao Queen 2019 winners onboard their Nissan Navara float

Aimed at promoting unity, tolerance, respect & inclusivity for the LGBTQ community, the event also promoted the HIV awareness campaign. The organizers promised a bigger and better celebration next year.  After the LGBTQIA celebration of  Tagbilaran city that was graced no less by City Mayor Baba Yap, the gathering yesterday culminated with a covenant for unity & respect at the UB Gymnasium. 

Last minute touch up and preening

Curious onlookers & adoring fans alike watched the parade

The event was one small step but a big victory for the members of the LGBTQIA community who have been calling out equality & respect for ages. 

NISSAN MOTORS supports the LGBTQI+A Community

Panglao had the biggest and most colorful delegation

Myla Rae Bueno cheers for the participants

Among the beautiful transgenders who supported the event

Converging at the UB Gymnasium prior to start of parade

Butalid Siblings Host Joint Birthday Celebration

It was a one cool party where everyone had a blast celebrating and toasting the birthday celebrants. Butalid siblings Dominic and Claire took time off from their busy schedules and gathered family, friends and associates to their double celebration held at the Coclea Lounge Bar one balmy evening. The Butalid matriarch, Equit Borja Butalid & siblings Val & Tim & immediate family members made sure that everyone had a good time.    

Butalid siblings Claire & Dominic with friends & classmates

Aside from the the overflowing drinks and the tons of food, there was also live entertainment care of Bo Young, an upcoming acoustic group whose soothing vocals and melodic rhythm were a big hit among the guests. 

BO YOUNG: soothing vocals & awesome musicality

The birthday bash that doubled as a mini- reunion of sorts with guests gravitating towards classmates from the celebrants’ respective batches was a fun & memorable occasion. Their father, the late Atty. Rolando Gatal Butalid, quondam city mayor of Tagbilaran & Bohol governor must have been proud where he is ensconced from up above.

Here are more of the photos from the double birthday bash

Dr. Reuel Relampagos & wife Gryll with Robert, Roxanne & their son John Ethan 

 Dominic Butalid, Roger Gatal with Nelson & Melissa Vargas

 RITZ BOYS REUNION: Lester Sarmiento, Lito Fernandez, 

Dominic Butalid, Rick Arbasto & Sammy Bolanio

HSS ALUMNI. SMB CFO May Lapez Amador, Julius Froilan, & Claire Buttalid.

Standing: Emma Casenas, Dr. Reuel Relampagos, Vince Amador & Meo Inting

WEDDING BELLS SOON. Bohol’s top legal eagle Atty. Popot Marapao & Dr. Jo Anne Liao

Taking a breather from the election sorties were cousins Greggy Gatal & Tim Butalid

Val & Evelyn Butalid, engaged couple Ghen Lumayag & Richie Tabat

 WELCOME HOME. GMA 7 bigwig Doy Gallares & wife Joan flank Pam Gallares  

top dermatologist Dr. Joyce C Castillo & Atty. Meriam Ballener- Tradio with Tito Boy Castillo

Business partners Keith Bumaat & Mark Lim Wong

Your Roving Eye with Dr. Reuel Relampagos & Bobby Uy 

Bambi Casenas, Atty. Cocot Marapao & top eventologist LJ Lumayag

Madge Borja with Ernie & Dolly

Ross & Maia’s Joint Glittery Golden Birthday Bash

It was a birthday bash like no other. With two vavavoom girls sharing the spotlight, it was guaranteed to be double the fun & the intensity.

Maia Corales & Rosaline Manigque welcomed their entry into the golden society with panache and elan. Styled and organized by Haidee Ingking and assisted by Your Roving Eye, the fun evening was just the right mix of party music, scrumptious hors de ouvres & canapés, wide array of drinks and the best crowd ever.

Maia & Ross with Your Roving Eye

Roger Gatal with lovely ladies Meg Raynaldo, Mrs. Marietta Corales & Maita Thomas

Joan Llanos, Leni Ingking, Maxi Tallo & Ricky Inting

Held at D Box a couple of weeks back, the celebration exuded positive vibes and radiated just the right party mood as guests, family members & close friends started to arrive. 

A short program highlighted the golden milestone that evening and Maia and Ross graciously gave in to everyone’s request for spot numbers. 

B’ Grazing Co. by Iris Inting, Janin Tan & Bunny Casenas Amores.  

Meg Raynaldo of D Box made sure drinks didn’t run out

Maia reminded everyone of her singing & dancing days when she presented a showstopping version of Zsa Zsa Padilla’s “Point of No Return” and Ross gave a spirited choreographed dance number with a little help from Achilles Amores and Chevy Torillo. 

Maia belts out a Zsa Zsa Padilla classic while Ross dances to everyone’s delight

SISTER ACT: Leni & Haidee Ingking blew em away

with their “Proud Mary” song number 

 THE GANG IS BACK! Jerome Hill, Maita Thomas, Margie Dumadag,

Meg Raynaldo, Leizl Lim, Rachel Penales- Ngo, Janin Tan & Geoff Damgo

MORE OF THE GANG: Dale Reimer, Maxi Tallo,

Ricky Inting, Bunny & Achilles Amores, Nap Betonio

COOSOME TWOSOME Alex & Odessa Rodriguez

Dr. Seth Lim & marketing whiz Dominic Butalid

 OF MUSIC. MAGIC. MEMORIES.

Live musical entertainment from the very talented JAM 403 alternated with the 80’s playlist from DJ Roger Rodge Gatal which heightened the nostalgic air as the incessant cacophony of laughter, clinking of glasses and endless chatter reverberated the whole evening. 

THREE’S A CROWD. Patpat Espiritu , DJ Jacky G & Marie Anne Diores 

With JV, Krizia & Aldos of  the talented JAM 403

As the party drew to a close and remnants of the fun evening was slowly swept away, many of the guests still tarried a bit. Some were in a huddle and the perky ones couldn’t resist singing along to the strains of the 80’s music that was still playing albeit at a lowered volume. 

The Golden Girls with Leni & Haidee Ingking, Nelson & Zeny Uy

Dodin & Tata Lao with Erma Pandan

A couple of weeks have passed and both Maia & Ross have gone back abroad yet memories of that wonderful evening that blended nostalgia and fun is still being talked about as one of the fun fun events this side of the planet.  

FASHIONABLE FORCE Leizl Lim, Rachel Penales & Maxi Teofilo Tallo

Carmel Snare & daughter Sofie, Ross & Jerome Hill

EVENT ORGANIZER                : Haidee Ingking

EVENT HOST                           : Raul Gatal

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT           : JAM 403

DJ & SPINNER                        : DJ Rodge

EVENT VENUE                        : D Box

CATERING                               : B’ Grazing Co. by Iris Inting, Janin Tan & Bunny Casenas Amores