An LGBTQIA+ special committee will be created under a directive issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on December 21, 2023. Executive Order No. 51 will reconstitute the inter-agency committee on diversity and inclusion under the previous administration’s Diversity and Inclusion Program (DIP) – which will pave the way for creating a special panel on LGBTQIA+ affairs. Agence France-Presse/FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — An LGBTQIA+ special committee was ordered created under a presidential directive that would reconstitute the inter-agency panel on diversity and inclusion.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order (EO) No. 51 on December 21 for the reorganization of the inter-agency committee on diversity and inclusion under the previous administration’s Diversity and Inclusion Program (DIP) – which paves the way for the creation of a special panel on LGBTQIA+ affairs.
LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual.
“There is a need to reinforce the DIP and reconstitute the Inter-Agency Committee to ensure the country’s continuous compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which mandates States Parties to respect and ensure to all individuals within its territory the rights recognized therein, without distinction of any kind,” Marcos explains in the EO, which copy was made public on Saturday.
The President also said the LGBTQIA+ affairs special committee is tasked to “strengthen existing mechanisms to address the continued discrimination being experienced by the members of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
The special panel is also seen to provide the LGBQIA+ community an avenue to participate in policy formation despite the absence of an established body specifically dedicated to promoting their rights and addressing their concerns.
Based on EO No. 51, the DIP or inter-agency committee will be under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The DSWD chief shall also serve as its chair.
The panel’s co-chairpersons shall be the secretaries of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) while its vice chairperson shall be the secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government and members, the secretaries of the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Justice, Department of Health.
The President ordered the inter-agency panel to submit to him, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, a diversity and inclusion program within six (6) months from the effectivity of EO No. 51.
As for the LGBTQIA+ special committee, the presidential directive said it shall be headed by a chairperson with the rank of undersecretary and shall have three members with the rank of assistant secretary. The President shall appoint all four and shall come from reputable organizations representing the LGBTQIA+ community.
It shall likewise include ex-officio members representatives from the DMW, DOLE, and DepEd. The representative shall have a rank not lower than an Assistant Secretary or its equivalent.
The EO tasks the LGBTQIA+ special committee to ensure that policies, plans and programs that effectively promote equality, equity, non-discrimination, inclusion, and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community at national and local government levels are incorporated in the DIP.
It shall also assist the inter-agency panel on all matters concerning the LGBTQIA+ community, including the conduct of a review of existing issues relative to or affecting the sector.
The government further expects the LGBTQIA+ special committee to recommend to the Office of the President measures that would bolster existing programs and initiatives geared toward addressing the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community; and coordinate with concerned government agencies to ensure the availability of sufficient and reliable data on the status, challenges, and opportunities of the LGBTQIA+ community for the purpose of evidence-based policy-making.
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