The Akbayan Party-list commended Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte for enacting the first “Gender-Inclusive Health Ordinance” (SP 3416) in the country, seeking to institutionalize a non-discriminatory healthcare system that is affirming and responsive to the community’s specific health needs.
“Every year, Mayor Joy continues to redefine what inclusive governance should look like. Where others hesitate, she acts with certainty, compassion, and pride,” Rep. Perci Cendaña said in a statement.
From the ‘Right to Care Card’ to the ‘Gender-Inclusive Health Ordinance,’ Quezon City has cemented its legacy of equality by placing the marginalized at the forefront of life-saving and essential services,” Cendaña added.
The non-binary lawmaker noted that “this landmark victory paves the way for the inclusion of trans people not just in healthcare, but within all social institutions they have been historically excluded from.”
The policy ensures respectful and affirming primary healthcare services, streamlined referrals to specialized gender-affirming care services, and mental health support for transgender individuals.
The program also aims to be integrated within the HIV service delivery program of Quezon City.
Cendaña also called on Congress and other local government units (LGUs) to pass similar inclusive ordinances that will protect and address the needs of the queer community.
“We hope Quezon City’s compassion moves other LGUs to follow its lead, and sway even the most indifferent voices in Congress to vote ‘Yes’ to equality,” he said.
In the 20th Congress, Cendaña and other Akbayan lawmakers already refiled the SOGIE Equality Bill, only the first in the series of “equality bills” they intend to champion.
