HIRAYA is a safe haven for the oppressed that promotes gender equality, gender sensitivity, gender awareness, and diversity in the society that seeks to achieve equality and collective respect and dignity towards the Bedan community. It started in 2012, when Hiraya was first just a group of homosexual students who wanted their rights to be heard against discrimination. There were a lot of conflict
s & rejections but it didn’t become a hindrance to the students. The organization rebranded its advocacy, from the LGBT community to a gender sensitive organization that builds their stand to reach out more to all sexes instead of just the LGBT community. The organization’s intention is to raise awareness to the Bedan community about their rights for the reason that the world is constantly changing; different people, different faces, different personalities. This organization consists of people with distinctive sexual orientation coming from different departments within San Beda College. Hiraya was first accredited by the Office of the Prefect of Student Affairs last 2014 as an organization that promotes gender sensitivity, awareness, gender equality and diversity in the society. This organization is continuing its legacy to develop the activities to unify, strengthen and maintain the peaceful environment of San Beda College for the students, and to fully accept and support its vision-mission:
- To hone its members that will cultivate social responsibility and awareness.
- To help its members provide a safe haven for the oppressed
- To inherit the Benedictine values of Ora et Labora – Prayer and Work
- To support the school’s vision, in becoming fully human, wholly Christian, truly Filipino and Globally Competitive; and
- To transform the whole community
Hiraya is rebranded in to Avana to start from scratch and remove the impression of the people who thinks this organization is only for the LGBTQIA+ community. We are broadening our scope and we are aiming to help not just a specific group of people, but everyone who needs us. HIRAYA wants to build, develop and maintain a society that consists of RESPECT, EQUALITY and FREEDOM.
