Cebuano pop-up community and creativity just got more meaningful. At first glance, it felt like a typical weekend market, with tables lined with handmade zines, vintage finds and tarot card spreads. But at the center of LoveYourself Cebu headquarters on Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City, Project Konsulta x Common Guds was doing more than just curating something cool.
“That’s what Project Konsulta x Common Guds was really about — not just services, but safety,” said organizer Deanne Arche. “It wasn’t built to impress. It was built to hold people. Built for those who needed help but didn’t know where to start.”
For two days, July 19 and 20, 2025, it turned outreach into something radically human. Free HIV testing came with a conversation. Legal advice was given over coffee. Safe sex kits were handed out with no judgment. It was grassroots health reimagined and Cebu style that’s advocacy-forward.
Dericke Gwaine Tan, one of the event’s creative consultants, alongside Sarah Isok Bihag and Arche, said advocacy shouldn’t be about corporate polish but about meeting people with sincerity.
“There are already so many fundraisers that feel too formal, too distant,” Tan shared. “We wanted to build something that feels like us, a generation learning to talk about things like mental health, HIV and proper sex education without stigma.”
That spirit came to life in the event’s format, which was not in a hotel ballroom or lecture hall, but in a communal, walk-in space filled with small biz love and youth volunteers outside the fences, talking to passersby.
New kind of health hub
LoveYourself Cebu offers free HIV testing five days a week (except Monday and Tuesday). Its work proves that health services can be accessible, non-judgmental and empowering. That’s a lesson Tan took to heart while helping shape this collaboration. “What blew me away was how far LoveYourself goes,” he said. “They prioritize your safety and comfort; that’s how outreach should feel.”
“Some came for stickers and left with knowledge,” Arche said. “Some came out of curiosity, stayed for connection and left with peace of mind.”
The event was also supported by local youth orgs like the Philippine Junior Jaycees - University of San Carlos (JJC USC), who pitched in with media support, manpower and hygiene kit donations.
Beyond events
Held just after the whirlwind of celebrations, the events intentionally stood apart. It asked: Who still shows up when the events are over?
“It’s easy to join crowds during events,” said Tan, “but it means more when you show up on a random weekend in July. Those are the people really fighting for the cause.”
Despite limited supplies, the turnout was strong. Hygiene kits ran out. Conversations lingered long after booths had closed. Even organizations from the Cebu Lions Club took notice, some inspired by how the youth pulled it off.
“They asked us, ‘If the youth can do this, what’s stopping us?’” Tan shared. “We all move like a herd. If one person gets to move in a different direction then it gives the chance for the rest to move alongside the person who stepped up. That’s the ripple effect we’re aiming for.”
From curated tarot corners to locally made patches, the pop-up format was both strategy and statement. By embedding advocacy into familiar, culturally relevant spaces, it made topics like HIV testing feel less intimidating.
“HIV awareness is also mental health, social health, the kind of circles you keep,” shared Tan. S