MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Mandaue City has taken another step to ensure equal rights for individuals of diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression (SOGIE).
Mayor Jonas Cortes signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the city’s Anti-Discriminatory Ordinance on Wednesday, July 10.
Cortes signed the IRR together with LGBT Champion City Treasurer Atty. Regal Oliva at the hall of fame of the Mandaue City Hall.
“As your Mayor, I am incredibly proud of this milestone legislation. It shows our dedication to creating a Mandaue where everyone can live without fear of discrimination, where every person is valued and treated fairly,” said Cortes.
The IRR provides detailed guidelines on how the ordinance will be enforced. This will also serve as a guide for LGBTQ+ members on the process they can take if their rights are violated in the city.
The Anti-Discriminatory Ordinance based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression (SOGIE) was initially passed into law in 2016 but was not fully enforced due to the absence of IRR.
Oliva said that even without the IRR, the city has filed cases against persons who have committed discrimination in Mandaue through the Anti-Discriminatory Ordinance and the Safe Spaces Ordinance.
Oliva added that the IRR is a guide for LGBT members on which offices and persons to approach since the ordinance did not state these processes.
Mandaue City is known to be very inclusive and the most accepting local government in the country.
The IRR also provides provisions that protect the LGBTQ+ community against discriminatory acts that must be eliminated, including discrimination against freedom of expression, employment, education, access to health or any related services, accommodation, legal documents, delivery of services, and disallowance of entry or refusal, among others.
“Let us always remember nga daghan natoang kaigsuunan sa LGBT nga dili sila pwede moenroll kay taas sila og buhok, dili sila pwede mokuha og trabaho kay naa sa ila birth certificate female niya mura sila og lalaki, especially kana galing muadto ta sa emergency room kung LGBT ka kinahanglan sa ka magHIV test. These are forms of discrimination that we must address and these kinds of discrimination must not happen in Mandaue City,” said Oliva.
Ordinance violators will be penalized up to P5,000, but Oliva said that the ordinance also works with the Safe Spaces Act, which has a penalty of P500,000.
The signing was also attended by Cebu United LGBTQ – Sector and the different LGBT associations in Mandaue.
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