SOME 85% of Filipino companies now have anti-discriminatory policies for members of the LGBTQ+ community that represents individuals belonging to a spectrum of genders, the latest study by the Philippine Financial Industry Pride (PFIP) showed.
The PFIP’s LGBTQ+ Inclusion Report 2024 showed that 85% of Filipino companies are more inclusive as they implement anti-discrimination policies in the workplace, while 86% established grievance procedures for LGBTQ+ employees.
The report also showed that 78% offer medical benefits for same-sex and different-sex couples. While 73% have active LGTBQ+ Employee Resource Groups.
It added that 79% of companies said they are committed to inclusivity and that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training has improved with 80% of companies providing such programs.
PFIP Trustee Christopher M. Eugenio said the remaining 21% of companies that answered otherwise does not mean they are not promoting inclusivity, but are still working on it internally.
The study surveyed 103 companies in the Philippines, with international corporations and micro, small, and medium enterprises or MSMEs.
“It’s very important that we get more data, but I think it’s also important that we get the right kind of data and the more diverse kind of data. So that we can really make our workplaces inclusive,” University of the Philippines Assistant Professor of Statistics Xavier J. Bilon said in the panel discussion on the study.
On dress codes, more than 55% of the companies said they were gender-inclusive, while almost 73% said they have gender-inclusive facilities.
“We need to drill down the basics. What is DEI? The thing that we’ve always been teaching is, that DEI is a culture,” said PFIP Chairperson Wilhelmina “Weena” U. Ekid. “It’s the culture of respect, period. It’s not changing anybody’s views. It’s not changing your religion, personal, and professional landscape, and views. It’s more of a culture of respect.” — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
