MANILA, PHILIPPINES — To celebrate its 10th founding anniversary, the leading Philippine LGBT+ organization is releasing a best practices guide for equal opportunity employers.
The Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) is taking the fight for SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression and Sex Characteristics) equality to the board rooms of the most influential private employers in the Philippines with the launch of the PFIP Playbook, a compendium of LGBT+ inclusive policies, programs and practices for local organizations. At a time when LGBT+ Filipinos are being denied their rights, PFIP, on its 10th-year founding anniversary, is reinforcing its commitment to protect and promote safe workplaces within the corporate pride community and reaffirming its support for the greater LGBT+ ecosystem in the Philippines.
The PFIP Playbook is a critical resource for business managers and industry leaders who are looking to build safe and welcoming, diverse and inclusive, and ethical and sustainable organizations. Based on the experiences and expertise of leading private organizations in the Philippines today — all recognized employers of choice — the Playbook defines what’s possible within our current socio-legal landscape and directs stakeholders towards greater LGBT+ inclusion in our workplaces and beyond.
Supported by extensive research by the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, the Playbook also chronicles PFIP’s successes throughout its first decade. A key feature are case studies illustrating the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) journeys of PFIP member companies, from early pains to landmark wins.
“The PFIP Playbook is a convenient and comprehensive resource for companies to reference as they continue to promote gender equality in their places of work,” said Weena Ekid, PFIP incorporating board trustee and Chairperson. “We are excited to share it with the PFIP family through our CEO Forum on April 13th and Cebu Workplace Inclusion Forum on May 27, but also look forward to introducing it to local companies, government offices, the academe, and making them part of our DEI conversations.”
Since 2013, PFIP has been pioneering industry-leading DEI programs in the Philippines. Starting as a five-member breakfast club from the local banking, financial services, and insurance sector, the organization’s ambition has since grown from adopting global DEI policies to the local context to promoting practices that support the career advancement of Filipino LGBT+ talents.
Today, with 80+ member firms across multiple industries from Metro Manila, Cebu and Baguio, PFIP is the leading voice and champion for workplace DEI. “PFIP aspires to create safer and more progressive workplaces by enabling and equipping our member companies with best practices on inclusive policies, SOGIE training and education, and the business case of inclusion while empowering LGBT+ talents through sustainable Pride network, professional development and advocacy programs,” said Jai Leonard Carinan, PFIP Founding Leader and Executive Director.
H.E. Ambassador Marielle Geraedts from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Philippines celebrated the launch of the Playbook: “More and more businesses are realizing that [diversity, equity, and inclusion,] are not only buzzwords. These ideas represent hope and progress for many in the LGBTQIA+ community, who are deserving of recognition and respect as they live and work according to their true selves and identities.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros acknowledged the significance of the PFIP Playbook in our continued fight for a national anti-discrimination law that protects persons of diverse SOGIE. “At the heart of the bill, there are only basic rights.” Through the PFIP playbook, educating the organizations, institutions and communities we are part of has never been easier. “The bigger battles are won through the victories of many smaller communities. No win is ever too small, and a win like today’s Playbook is bigger than many.”
