MANILA – In time for the celebration of Pride Month, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) called for the urgent passage of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Equality Bill and Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Bill (CADB) as the 20th Congress sets to begin.

The SOGIESC Equality Bill affirms the fundamental rights of all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. It aims to ensure equal access to essential services, opportunities, healthcare, protection, and justice—promoting fairness and dignity for everyone.

Meanwhile, CADB seeks to make any form of discrimination against the vulnerable groups such as indigenous peoples, youth, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA+ community illegal, especially when deprived of access to basic social services and protection.

“These measures are vital in fulfilling the State’s obligation to uphold equality and guarantee legal protection for the LGBTQI community,” CHR said in a statement. “It is important to emphasize that these proposals do not seek to provide undue advantage to the LGBTQI community, but rather to address systemic inequities and ensure a safe and respectful space for all.”

The push for the SOGIESC Equality Bill dates back to the early 2000s. First filed during the 14th Congress, the bill has been repeatedly reintroduced in every Congress since, reflecting the challenges for its passage.

“CHR emphasizes that Pride is more than just a celebration of colors—it is also a protest that asserts the rights of the LGBTQI community,” the Commission added. 

CHR is designated as the Gender and Development Ombud through the Magna Carta of Women of 2009. This means that the CHR must promote and protect women’s rights and ensure gender equality. They are tasked as a watchdog, investigating complaints and violations related to gender equality and women’s rights.

In the 19th Congress, the SOGIESC Equality Bill passed the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality in December 2022 with the support of 19 senators. However, then Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva reverted the bill to the committee level in February 2023, further delaying the sponsorship of the bill. In the House of Representatives, the consolidated SOGIESC bill passed the Committee on Women and Gender Equality in May 2023.

“As the 20th Congress is set to begin, the Commission expresses its hope that these legislative measures will finally be prioritized—grounded in the principles of equality, justice, and human rights,” said the Commission. “CHR believes that a genuinely inclusive society is one where safe spaces are not a privilege, but a right—free from stigma, discrimination, and hate.”

Bahaghari, a Philippine alliance of LBTQ+ organizations and formations, said that the LGBTQ+ community must fight to achieve civil reforms, which include the SOGIESC Equality Bill. 

“On top of systemic failures, LGBTQ+ Filipinos experience gender-based violence and discrimination in their workplaces. Many are not hired based only on their gender expression, and are not considered for promotion because of this. In such cases, while LGBTQ+ workers are hired, they often receive lower salaries in comparison to others performing the same type of work,” Bahaghari said in its opening statement for Pride.

The alliance also underscored that the repression also extended to schools. Bahaghari added, “Since the return of face-to-face schooling in 2022, several cases of LGBTQ+ students being barred from enrollment unless they adhere to the university’s repressive uniform and grooming policies arose in different parts of the country.”

Beyond the chambers of lawmakers, the Philippine delegation in the 4th cycle of the Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations in November 2022, rejected the passage of the SOGIESC Equality Bill, stating that it is not acceptable in the Philippines as a predominantly Catholic country.

The 20th Congress is scheduled to convene on July 28, 2025. (RTS, RVO)