The Cebu City government is offering benefits to the members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the city as part of its celebration for Pride Month. | Bea Samantha Esteves and Junjie Mendoza
CEBU CITY, Philippines — LGBTQIA+ members in Cebu City are now eligible for benefits offered by the city government as part of the celebration of Pride Month.
All the LGBTQIA+ members have to do will be to register themselves to avail of the benefits.
In an interview with Sugboanon Channel, Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) program head, Allen Canoy, announced that their office would be able to release identification cards tailored just for the members of the LGBTQIA+ community after they would register in their respective barangays.
According to Canoy, the program was made for all LGBTQIA+ members living within the city’s 80 barangays as a way to offer a helping hand, especially to the members of the community who are in dire need of assistance.
Canoy said that the registration would be simple and would only require a few steps to accomplish.
The applicants will only need verification from their respective barangays proving that they are a resident and an active member of the community.
“Wala’y requirements ang pagpahimo sa ID as long as active LGBT siya sa LGBT organization sa ilang barangay ug nakafill up og intake form para maka-make og ID,” he said.
He further said that the applicants could head over to the respective assigned personnel in their barangay’s Gender and Development (GAD) desk or their barangay’s LGBTQIA+ president if they would avail of the program.
Canoy also announced that recipients of the program would be bound to the following benefits which would include burial, calamity aid, free hospitalization, and indigent assistance, among others.
Moreover, the cardholder could also avail of counseling and mental health services if they would be victims of bullying, harassment, and discrimination in their community.
Canoy also added that they also put into thought the members of the LGBTQIA+ community who would also be members of the Persons with Disability (PWD) community.
The representative of the members only needs to provide an authorization letter on behalf of who they are representing as an additional requirement for the ID.
According to Canoy, candidates who are also members of the PWD can send him a message or provide a representative on their behalf to apply for the offers being presented by their office.
“Tagaan pud og hinabang kini pong mga maglisod og lakaw, maglisod og adto sa opisina. So, muchat lang sila nako or else, naa sila’y suguon para maka-process sa ilahang ID sa atong buhatan,” he said.
(They will also be given assistance, those who would find it difficult to walk, and those who would find it difficult to go to the office. So they can just chat to me or else, they can ask someone who can process their ID in the office.)
Canoy further said that LGBTQIA+ members who were also single parents and senior citizens could also process their IDs to enjoy the benefits.
These are done by the city government to celebrate Pride Month.
The observance of this year’s Pride month was kicked off on Monday, June 3, after 113 LGBTQIA+ organizations in the city held an opening salvo at the Plaza Sugbo which was also attended by Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and several members of the City Council in a show of their support.
Activities associated with Pride Month will have a culmination with the annual LGBTQIA+ Pride March that will begin from P. Del Rosario and will end in Plaza Independencia, Cebu City.