Mister Gay Sugbo relaunches HIV awaresness drive

Local

STIGMA and misinformation continue to shadow conversations about health and identity in the LGBTQIA community, amid the rising cases of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) in the city.

Against this backdrop, the Mister Gay Sugbo Organization has returned for another year of advocacy work, as they relaunched its campaign on HIV awareness, testing, and SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression) education during a press conference on Saturday, January 31.

Dr. Christian Emmanuel Enriquez, the pageant's president, said the group deliberately focused its advocacy on HIV awareness and testing and SOGIE education, adding that this "is not just a gay activity."

He explained that these topics remain taboo issues affecting members of the LGBTQ community.

Enriquez added that their outreach now extends to universities, as cases increasingly involve younger populations.

He said the group aims to bring conversations on HIV and SOGIE beyond pageant venues and into families, schools, universities, communities, and different industries to encourage understanding and informed decision-making.

He said, for this year, the pageant operates independently and is not affiliated with any local government unit to keep its message of inclusivity consistent and accessible across different sectors.

During the press conference, the organization detailed its key initiatives, which include HIV awareness and testing, SOGIE education, and community empowerment through the creation of safe spaces and support networks.

The organization implements these efforts through outreach programs such as caravans.

These caravans partner with health institutions, HIV clinics, schools, and community organizations to bring education and services directly to barangays and universities.

Reigning Mr. Gay Sugbo 2025 Shun Romarate attended the press conference with members of his court.

He shared the organization’s outreach experiences, including HIV awareness activities in far-flung barangays such as Barangay Guba.

"Wala palang pa gani mi makastart og storya, before getting the mics and speaking to them—diritso dayon sila moingon 'HIV, sa mga bayot' kana nga stigma mas naa silay idea," he told MyTV Cebu.

Romarate said these areas, where people have little information on HIV, tend to hold misconceptions and pass judgment.

However, he added that after educating them with scientific-based facts, people became more interested, asked questions, and even volunteered to get tested.

Romarate’s winning court also attended the event, including first runner-up Glosim Abal and second runner-up John Patrick Colina.

Former titleholders Marnes Dave Aying, Mr. Gay Sugbo 2024, and inaugural winner Axl James Dayon, who won in 2023, were also present.

Enriquez said preparations for Mr. Gay Sugbo 2026 are already underway.

Applications will open in February, and the organization expects to attract 20 to 25 candidates, more than double the previous years' turnout of over 10.

He added that the organization will prioritize candidates who have already engaged in advocacy work.

The goal is to recognize individuals who actively contribute to solutions rather than treat advocacy as a competition label.

The pageant will be held sometime in June, during the Pride Month celebration.

This year, the pageant will also welcome university students as candidates, on top of the existing entrants from pageant enthusiasts and young professionals.

Central Visayas continues to rank among the country’s HIV hotspots, recording 349 new infections in the third quarter of 2025, the latest HIV & AIDS Surveillance of the Philippines report shows.

The region ranked fourth nationwide for newly reported cases from July to September 2025.

Since 1984, Central Visayas has documented a total of 11,695 HIV cases.

Most new infections affect young adults, with 42 percent among those aged 25–34 and 30 percent among 15–24-year-olds. Sexual contact remains the primary mode of transmission.(MyTVCebu)