Philippines, Asia

By Jenni Chang & Lisa Lisa Dazols September 16, 2011 Last year Forbes Magazine named Ricky Reyes as one of the Heroes of Philanthropy in the Asia-Pacific Region. Ricky himself grew up in poverty and worked as a hair sweeper to support his family. He opened his first hair studio in 1970 and grew his business into an empire from his humble shop. Today there are over forty Ricky Reyes salons throughout the country. Ricky also makes it into most homes on his weekly variety television show Gandang Ricky Reyes. Ricky’s non-profit work includes a job training program in the beauty industry and a halfway home for children with cancer. Forbes noted him for feeding for two weeks about 50,000 victims of the Typhoon Ondoy, a national disaster which caused more than $1.09 billion dollars in damage in 2009. We joined him in one of his many homes in the

Intro: The Philippines is a widely diverse culture spread across hundreds of islands which include high tech cities and primitive jungle tribes. In central Cebu, a small but sufficient gay community thrives and also displays its diversity, from preppies to drag queens. Nearby is the small island of Leyte steeped in history marking Mac Arthur’s famous return. Also see: Gay Philippines Stories Gay Philippines News & Reports 2001 to present Gay Philippines Photo Galleries By Richard Ammon Updated October 2009 Cebu City "Nooooway. I don’t want a queer boyfriend. I want a husband!" So declared my very gay male friend as we sat in a shaded cozy restaurant just off the traffic-fumed main plaza of Cebu City, Philippines. My face revealed my surprise, so Reul drove home the point: " I want a straight man, not half a man or another girl", laughing a bit to soften the strength of

Manila, Philippines is one of the few major Asian cities with an overt gay scene that openly contradicts the conservative culture of the country. Despite a homophobic environment that is critical and hostile to queer citizens a lively LGBT community thrives, and it vigorously leans into the face of the political, religious and legal establishment. This energetic and defiant movement manifests itself with political lobbying, social networking, street parades, sexually spicy venues–and a world LGBT conference. Also see: Gay Philippines Stories Gay Philippines News & Reports 2001 to present Gay Philippines Photo Galleries By Richard Ammon Updated July 2008 The 22nd ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association) Conference in Manila One of the best displays of Manila’s ‘gay power’ was the Manila conference of the International Lesbian and Gay Association that drew hundreds of delegates from 40 countries. It was significant in that this was the first time ILGA has

Intro: A reverential visit to one of World War II’s most haunting and impressive sites.   Also see: Gay Philippines Stories Gay Philippines News & Reports 2001 to present Gay Philippines Photo Galleries By Richard Ammon September 1998   The most haunting aspect of history is the echoing silence that enfolds epic events long after their final heave. Under the clear azure waters of the white sand beaches of Palo, on Leyte Island in the Philippines, lie the encrusted hulks of bombed warships that sank to the deep along with the lives of thousands of soldiers and sailors from warring nations during WWII. Today, as the plumes of cumulous clouds gently blow across the horizon of this central island, I stand and look eastward across the serenity of Leyte Gulf, my footsteps momentarily imprinted on the soft sand once stained red with young blood. This is the infamous ‘Red Beach’.

The Philippines is a country located in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands.The country is the world’s 12th most populous country with a population approaching 90 million people. Its national economy is the 46th largest in the world. There are more than 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, the largest diaspora network in the world, about 11% of the total population. Cebu is one of the provinces of the Philippines; its capital is Cebu City, the oldest city in the country. Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the country and the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry. Magellan led a flotilla of five ships here on March 16, 1521. Cebu, being the most densely populated island in the country, served as a vital Japanese base during the Japanese occupation in World War II which began with the

The Philippines is a country located in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands.The country is the world’s 12th most populous country with a population approaching 90 million people. Its national economy is the 46th largest in the world. There are more than 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, the largest diaspora network in the world, about 11% of the total population.. Homosexuality is increasingly being tolerated in the Philippines. However this tolerance is tempered by the strong influence of the Catholic church and macho culture. Most Filipinos appear to be comfortable with gays as long as they fit to certain stereotypes and behave according to accepted, non-threatening norms. There is a vibrant gay scene in the Philippines with several bars, clubs and saunas in Manila as well as various gay rights organizations. Read the story about Gay Philippines