When Barangay Pamutic in Pidigan, Abra held its Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in October 2023, the community did not debate whether an LGBTQIA+ member deserved a seat in local governance. They simply voted for the person they trusted most, and that person was Noel “Nouella” Baula Pamintuan.

Nouella, who identifies as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, is a Child Development Worker and a 2024 graduate of the University of Abra-Bangued Campus with a degree in Secondary Education, major in Technology and Livelihood Education. She serves as Gender and Development Focal and Barangay Representative of Barangay Pamutic, and in 2026, her barangay trusted her again, this time recommending her for roles under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as Participatory Situational Analysis Chairperson, Project Preparation Team Member, and Barangay Representative Team Member. She is also the appointed Event Coordinator and Director of Barangay Pamutic, organizing everything from their twice-a-year fiestas to other community celebrations. She is 25 years old, and she did not get here by accident.

Nouella grew up in a home where she never once had to question whether she was loved. Her parents raised her with open minds and open hearts, and because of that, she never spent any part of her childhood wondering if something was wrong with her or whether the people closest to her would accept who she was.

“I am beyond grateful and blessed because God gave me parents with open minds and hearts that love deeply. I never had the chance to ask myself if there was something wrong with me, who I am, or whether they would accept me, because my parents raised me well and happily,” she shared.

That foundation is what she carries into every barangay meeting, every KALAHI-CIDSS process, and every event she organizes and directs. She walks into every room already knowing she is worth something, and that confidence is not arrogance but the result of being loved well and raised to believe it.

When she joined KALAHI-CIDSS, it was not just a personal decision but a reflection of what her barangay already knew about her. They believed that LGBTQIA+ members bring more to a community than most people expect, not just energy and creativity, but a genuine commitment to showing up and doing the work with everything they have.

“Our barangay knows that an LGBTQIA+ member in an organization contributes greatly, because beyond being a fun colleague, we also have talents we can show the world,” she said.

She is honest about what it took to earn that trust over time, and the answer is mostly patience and a decision made early and held firmly that she was not going to let other people’s doubts become her own. When things did not go her way, she treated it as a chance to demonstrate more. When people did not understand, she explained again, and with her SK term nearing its end, she kept pushing anyway, making sure that the community’s choice to elect her would never feel wasted.

Through KALAHI-CIDSS, she found a program that runs on the same principle she has lived by, that gender and age are never reasons to exclude someone from the table and that the best outcomes come when everyone has an equal voice in building them.

This Pride Month, her message comes from someone who has already lived what she is asking others to believe.

“Let us not be afraid to be happy. Instead, let us do everything we can to prove ourselves to those who once laughed at us, humiliated us, and treated us poorly. Show the world who you are and be an inspiration to others. When they see you strong, stable, and above all, happy, they will realize that a person’s strength, respect, love, and courage are never measured by gender,” she said.

At 25, Nouella has already been elected, appointed, and trusted with more than most people her age, and the only thing she wants in return is a Barangay Pamutic where no one grows up wondering if they belong, because having people who believed in her before she even had to ask made all the difference, and she wants every person who comes after her to know exactly what that feels like. #DSWD-CAR, KALAHI-CIDSS RPMO, Yvonne Gracious T. Elegado, Project Development Officer III