A jogger runs past the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Friday night with its facade lit in the rainbow colors of the LGBTQ+ community. Earlier on Thursday, members of Tomboy Philippines (1st photo) perform in a competition during the Pride Without Borders event in Quezon City. While the community in the Philippines has been asserting its identity, with the government recognizing and affirming its rights, the LGBTQ+ in some parts of the world is still caught in a struggle to uphold its freedoms. In Hungary, community members have been confronted by restrictions on the watch of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, including a law passed in March prohibiting such activities as the Pride March set on Saturday. Early this month, LGBTQ+ advocates gathered at a party (3rd photo) in the capital of Budapest, one of several events leading to Saturday’s protest which they intend to push through despite a police ban. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA, LYN RILLON, REUTERS
HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS
President Marcos on Friday is joined by hospital staff and veterans of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as he inaugurates a pilot clinic in Fernando Air Base, Lipa City, implementing the Valor Access to Lifetime Optimized Health Care program for veterans. The new healthcare program under the administration of Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) will soon be expanded to Fort Bonifacio, the Northern Luzon Command in Tarlac and Southern Luzon Command in Quezon province. VMMC patients have noted an improvement through the years in the hospital’s overall service, which is provided free to veterans, and the courtesy of the staff. But the hospital still lacks some crucial equipment, while its staff is overwhelmed from time to time by the influx of patients. —RYAN BALDEMOR
