Eight LGBTQIA+ Filipino American leaders working across entertainment, fashion, education, media, wellness and community service will be honored Oct. 10 when the Philippine American Friendship Community Inc. presents its 2026 Gawad Pinoy Pride Awards at Jersey City Hall.
The public program begins at 10 a.m. with a mental-health lecture forum led by Dr. Romulo Aromin. The awards ceremony will follow from 1 to 3 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
Cassey Arrobang will be recognized for excellence in entertainment, while Rain Batingana will receive the honor for fashion modeling. Miguel Braganza will be honored for performing arts, and Jesse Castro, known as “JCas,” will receive recognition for podcast hosting.
The remaining awardees are Nolly Ceballos for entrepreneurship and wellness; Johjoh Demol Jenae, Ph.D., for education; Veejay Floresca for fashion design; and Paul Mendoza for leadership and community service.
For PAFCOM, the awards are intended to recognize not only career accomplishments but also the community presence of LGBTQIA+ Filipinos in the region. Gawad Pinoy Pride honors Filipino and Filipino American LGBTQIA+ people whose professional work and service have helped strengthen communities throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The awardees’ fields are varied, but each has built a public-facing body of work — whether through performance, style, storytelling, education, business or advocacy. Their recognition comes at a time when representation remains a central concern for LGBTQIA+ Filipinos seeking space in both mainstream and Filipino American institutions.
The day’s mental-health forum is also expected to bring a practical community-health focus to the gathering. Discussions of mental health can remain difficult in many immigrant and Filipino households, where stigma, family expectations and uneven access to culturally responsive care can discourage people from seeking support. The forum will precede an afternoon centered on achievement, visibility and community pride.
PAFCOM, based in Jersey City, was founded in 1990 as the Philippine-American Friendship Committee. The nonprofit first became known for organizing the annual Philippine-American Friendship Day parade and festival and later adopted the name Philippine American Friendship Community Inc. as its work expanded across the Tri-State area.
In addition to its cultural programming, PAFCOM organizes community events and initiatives focused on youth, older adults, health and wellness, civic participation, families in need, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ Filipinos. Its annual Friendship Day parade and festival reached its 36th year in 2026.
PAFCOM received the Philippine government’s 2021 Presidential Banaag Award, an honor for overseas Filipino individuals and organizations whose work has significantly benefited Filipino communities abroad.
For this year’s honorees, the Gawad Pinoy Pride program offers recognition from a community that understands the value of being visible, telling one’s own story and creating opportunities for others.
