MANILA (UPDATE)—Battling bad weather, a record-breaking crowd of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community members, together with their supporters, attended the annual Metro Manila Pride (MMPride) parade in Marikina City, Saturday.
According to MMPride organizers, some 70,000 participants joined Saturday’s event, more than double last year’s 25,000.
Organizers earlier estimated the crowd at 30,000.
Metro Manila’s Pride celebration is considered the longest-running in the region, which started in 1994 with just more than 50 attendees.
Thousands flocked to the parade despite state weather bureau PAGASA’s advisory Friday that a low-pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) will continue to enhance the prevailing southwest monsoon.
This year’s event saw the signing of an Anti-Discrimination Ordinance in Marikina City in an effort to make it “a safer place for LGBTQIA+ people.”