In Marikina City, the gay community holds it annual Santacruzan, a commemoration of the mythical search of St. Helene, mother of Constantine the Great, for the Holy Cross. The religious underpinnings of the event was somehow integrated with the tropical summer and the lush flowers that bloom during the month of May. Flores de Mayo, or Flowers of May, has become synonymous with the Santacruzan.
Like all other Santacruzans all over the Philippines, the annual Gay Santacruzan in Marikina City is a cross between a beauty pageant and a religious procession. Organized by the local gay community, all the sagalas are gays.
The Reyna Banderada traditionally wears a gown depicting the Filipino flag.
This gay sagala was not camera shy. He obliged me with a smile and a wave of the hand.
One of the most unique gowns in the entire Santacruzan was made from banig, or the traditional Filipino sleeping mat. The ensemble came complete with a parasol.
