Volleyball player Deanna Wong greeted her girlfriend, Ivy Lacsina, also a volleyball player, on her birthday on 28 October with a sweet message and photos on Instagram (deannawongst).
"Happiest birthday Ibyang. Kaluguran daka (I love you)," Wong wrote.
Lacsina responded in Pampangan: "Kaluguran daka rin eka. Magaganaka ika mu hanga hanga."
The two athletes have revealed being a couple last June. Last 19 July, Lacsina took to Instagram (16ivylacsina) to greet Wong on her 24th birthday, saying, "Happiest birthday to the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you my Adi," and sharing a photo of the two.
Wong commented on the post: "Thank you for being the best part in this lifetime Adi, grateful for your existence. Wo ài ni! (I love you!)."
Wong, who hails from Cebu, was a member of the Ateneo Lady Eagles of the Ateneo de Manila University and gained popularity while competing at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines women's volleyball tournaments. She is now a setter for Choco Mucho in the Premier Volleyball League. Meanwhile, Lacsina played for the National University Lady Bulldogs and is now part of the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers team.
Wong has confirmed publicly being LGBTQ+ in an episode of broadcast journalist Karen Davila's interview series on YouTube, posted on 11 June.
Davila asked if she has come out.
"In a way, it says that I haven't really been straight to the point with it, being direct with it but siyempre, siguro, I think it says na something na parang, 'Ito ako, so this is who I am.' So, sila na lang ang bahala mag-interpret kung ano 'yun (So, I let them interpret what it is)," Wong answered.
Davila clarified if she is a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Wong replied, "Puwede. Yeah, I think, I am naman, kasi LGB… so I can say that I am."
On the moment she realized she is queer, she related, "It was me kasi believing na nagustuhan ko lang naman 'yung tao, eh, parang minamahal ko lang naman siya (I just liked the person, I just loved them). And if I'm not stepping on anyone's toes, or anything like that, if hindi naman siya mali (it is not wrong). So, it wasn't really because na I was like who I am right now or dahil nga naglalaro ako ng (because I am playing) volleyball. It was just really because of how I really felt."
Wong further revealed that acceptance has not been easy in her family.