Gender-neutral comfort rooms set up at Cebu City Police Office

The comfort rooms in Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) with gender-neutral designation.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) now have their gender-neutral comfort rooms (CR) available for public use in Camp Sotero Cabahug, Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City.

The project initiated by Police Colonel Gemma Vinluan, CCPO director, have already been functional since Thursday, September 5, 2019.

Police Major Clark Arriola, newly appointed public information officer of CCPO, told reporters on Friday morning, September 6, that the gender-neutral CRs or restrooms were part of Vinluan’s advocacy on gender sensitivity that she hoped the CCPO would be promoting under her leadership.

“Ang inyung kapolisan sa Cebu City Police Office, gender sensitive gyud ta,” said Arriola.

(Your police officers in Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) should always be gender sensitive.)

Read more: Cebu City Council to push for designated gender-neutral rooms in establishments

The comfort room, which was built in the lot where the CCPO detention cell used to stand, covers four cubicles designated to male, female and two gender-neutral rooms. A ramp was also used to make it easier for the persons with disability (PWD) to use the restroom.

Arriola said private stakeholders, who supported the advocacy-based project, funded it.

With this gender neutral comfort rooms, Arriola said the CCPO was hoping that it would send a message to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning and many others (LGBTQA+) community that they could be comfortable when they would visit the police office. | dbs