Policies and Legislation
Discrimination persists because of the lack of a national anti-discrimination law.
For 23 years now, LGBTQI advocates have been pushing for a national anti-discrimination law that will protect Filipinos from discrimination on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and/or sex characteristics (SOGIESC). The most significant network of LGBTQI organizations in the country that lobbies for LGBTQI-responsive policies, Lagablab LGBT Network, is currently working for the SOGIESC Equality Bill (SEB).
How do we pass a bill?
What is the status of the SOGIESC Equality Bill?
Update as of May 23, 2023
The SOGIE Equality Bill (SEB) continues to languish in the 19th Congress. At the Senate level, the bill was recommitted to the Committee on Rules chaired by Senator Joel Villanueva. After the Committee on Rules holds its hearing on the SEB, the bill shall be recommitted back to the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros. However, said hearing by the Committee on Rules has yet to be conducted.
In the House of Representatives, the Committee on Women and Gender Equality approved the consolidated bill for the SEB and is awaiting sponsorship for plenary discussions.
"Anti-discrimination" bills filed in the 19th Congress
SOGIE(SC) Equality Bills
Listed below are the bills filed by the Members of the 19th Congress. Those who wrote and filed the bill are considered to be the Principal Author. Co-Authors are those who sign to support the bill after its filing.
The bills listed below seek to protect people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and/or sex characteristics against discrimination.
Senate Bills
SB 139: SOGIESC Equality Act
Author: Senator Risa Hontiveros
SB 245: Anti-Discrimination Act of 2022
Author: Senator Loren B. Legarda
SB 442: An Act Penalizing Discriminatory
Actions Based on Gender Identity or Expression and Sexual Orientation
Author: Senator Mark A. Villar
SB 1600: SOGIESC Equality Act
Authors: Senator Risa Hontiveros, Senator Loren B. Legarda, & Senator Mark A. Villar
NOTE: submitted by the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality in substitution of Senate Bill Nos. 139, 245, & 442
House Bills
HB 3418: Anti-Discrimination Act of 2022
Author: Hon. Antonio B. Legarda Jr.
HB 222: SOGIESC Equality Act
Author: Senator Loren B. Legarda
HB 460: Anti-SOGIE Discrimination Act of 2022
Author: Rep. Arjo Atayde
HB 4177: SOGIE Equality Act
Author: Rep. Harris Christopher M. Ongchuan
HB 4277: Anti-Discrimination Act
Author: Hon. Christopher V.P. de Venecia
HB 5551: SOGIESC Equality Act
Authors: Rep. Arlene D. Brosas, Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, and Rep. France L. Castro
HB 6003: SOGIE Equality Act
Author: Rep. PM Vargas
Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Bills
In contrast with the bills listed above, Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Bills seek to protect against a wider range of discriminatory practices, such as discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, religion, and SOGIESC.
House Bills
HB 188: Anti-Discrimination Act of 2022
Author: Bienvenido M. Abante Jr.
HB 222: SOGIESC Equality Act
Author: Rep. Geraldine B. Roman
HB 1480: Anti-Discrimination Act of 2022
Author: Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes G. Matibag
HB 2128: The Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Act
Author: Rep. Jose Francisco B. Benitez
Other Documents
Policy and Political Mapping in Relation to Philippine SOGIESC-based Anti- Discrimination Legislation (2023)
Vince Liban
This resource provides an overview of the policy and political landscape of the movement to enact a national legislation that seeks to prohibit and penalize SOGIESC-based discrimination in the Philippines. In particular, it looks at the current political terrain of the 19th Congress of the Philippines with regard to the SOGIE Equality Bill. With the absence of a national SOGIE Equality Law/ SOGIESC-based Anti-Discrimination Law, this resource also charts the historical development of local anti-discrimination ordinances (ADOs) that somehow led to the increasing number of local government units (LGUs) offering protection to people of diverse SOGIESC in cities, municipalities, and provinces in the country.
Request access by emailing us at info@balangaw.ph
Legislative Campaign Mapping in Relation to Philippine SOGIESC-based Anti-Discrimination Legislation (2023)
Bryon Senga
This study maps out the legislative campaigns for LGBTQI legislation over the years. While these conditions are the ones which oftentimes constitute political outcomes, particularly the status of the bill, this study looks at the attempts of the network, this study assesses how they have navigated the various political conditions, and resource considerations along the way.
Request access by emailing us at info@balangaw.ph
Campaigns by Lagablab LGBT Network
on SOGIESC Equality
Lagablab Campaign Video Draft 3.mp4
