Belmonte named gender equality champion

MANILA, Philippines — The non-profit organization Philippine Financial and Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) has recognized Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte as one of the champions in promoting gender equality.

Belmonte was named a BAHAGHARI champion during the first Philippine BAHAGHARI Awards Night on Friday.

The PFIP, a non-profit community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA) advocacy groups, held the awards night in celebration of its ninth founding anniversary.

The BAHAGHARI award is given to “exceptional individuals and organizations that have championed SOGIE equality and human rights in different sectors of the community.”

Belmonte was specifically cited for her “leadership and advocacies in promoting equal rights in Quezon City.”

The other awardees were the embassy of the Netherlands and Drew Fernandez, global chief people officer of the Bottling Investments Group under The Coca-Cola Co.

In her speech during the awarding ceremony, Belmonte cited the city’s efforts to promote gender equality, and end all forms of gender-based abuses, discrimination and stigma in the workplace and communities.

“I am grateful to the PFIP for recognizing the city government’s efforts to uphold the rights of the members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I assure you that Quezon City will be the bastion of democracy where everyone can live their truth without fear of discrimination or stigma, where everyone is embraced and loved with uniformity and where acceptance is the norm,” she said.

When Belmonte was vice mayor and head of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in 2014, the city council passed the QC Gender Fair Ordinance, which led to the inclusion of the Safe Cities Program in the amended Gender and Development Code of 2016.

Belmonte said the city government is continuously working to promote gender equality in the workplace.

“The institutionalization of a mechanism for workplace to create a committee that investigates all forms of gender-based discrimination, violence and harassment in the workplace should also include LGBTQIA+, apart from women, is also being pushed,” she said.

Meanwhile, the city’s Emergency Employment Program prohibits discrimination against women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, persons with disabilities and senior citizens when it comes to enlisting them for emergency employment initiatives.

LGBTQIA+ members who have experienced violence and abuse are also provided various services such as counseling and legal aid through the city’s Bahay Kanlungan.

Eight sundown clinics were able to serve over 20,000 people from January to August, which is part of the city government’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

In 2019, the local government launched the “Zero at 2030” campaign to end HIV/AIDS.

Quezon City’s HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives have brought the local government the Circle of Excellence Award from the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care and Fast-Track Cities Institute during the Fast-Track Cities 2022 conference in Sevilla, Spain.

“Quezon City will become a city where everyone feels that the government is on their side, where everyone is given choices and are respected despite their choices; where no one feels left out, no one feels left behind. I am proud to declare that the Quezon City of 2022 is an LGBTQIA+ friendly city,” Belmonte said.