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UNITY: Anti-discrimination Video (Researched by: Alexandra Uriel D. Paraguya)

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URL: https://youtu.be/XWgE6D7ejtg

TITLE: UNITY: Anti-discrimination Video

AUTHOR:
Justin Ford, We are World Change

DATE PUBLISHED: March 24, 2015

KEY INFO:
Although the video explained discrimination generally, it also includes cultural discrimination. It explains that are differences that set us apart, in race, gender, physical forms, financial background, beliefs, and cultures. Despite having differences from one another we do have one similarity, all of us are humans. So why should any of us be treated differently, even though underneath we are the same?

Here in Mindanao, we have diverse cultures, beliefs, race forms, and gender. But as I observe, we are trying to respect and understand each other's differences like in ADDU. Although all of us do not have the exact origins, genders, beliefs, cultures, and language (that we are used to using in our daily lives), we respect, try to understand, and adjust to one another, so all of us will study together comfortably and effectively. Hoping that somehow discrimination will not spread and eventually stop by doing the said actions by ourselves and sharing with others about this social issue and its solution.

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Discrimination a hurdle for job-seeking Mindanao youth (Researched by: Jasmine Janae A. Jagonia)

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URL: https://www.rappler.com/nation/180528-youth-mindanao-unemployment-discrimination/

TITLE: Discrimination a hurdle for job-seeking Mindanao youth

AUTHOR: Patty Pasion

DATE PUBLISHED: August 30, 2017

KEY INFO:
In the article, it is discussed how Muslims, specifically those from Marawi City, struggle to find employment. Because of the war that took place in their city, these Muslims are stigmatized as terrorists. They are discriminated against despite the fact that they are qualified and have the necessary education to work. They resort to traveling to Manila, where there are many prospects, because there aren't many jobs in their neighborhood. However, because of workplaces' rejecting them, they wish to work abroad.

The Red Flag project, which presents guidelines against discrimination against employees based on their racial or religious backgrounds, is highlighted in the article. Companies have begun and completed these guidelines. The groups are pleading with the government to invest in this initiative in an attempt to resolve the unemployment issue.

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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

MANILA, Philippines - Usman Mohammad, 23, just graduated from Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City this year. His aim of starting his professional life was interrupted by war as the government neutralizes terrorist groups linked to the extremist Islamic State.

Like him, other youth displaced from Marawi City would like to find a job to support their families, espcially that their properties have either been looted or bombed. But being a Muslim jobseeker is difficult because of the stereotypes in the workplace, he said.

"Based from what I observed from my friends who are also graduates of MSU, when they apply for companies in Manila, when they are identified as Muslim, there's already discrimination, thinking they are terrorists," he said in Filipino.

Since there's little large-scale economic activity in their area, their only choice is to go to Manila where majority of career opportunities are available. But because of the discrimination they are facing, they can't help but think of just going abroad for work. ( WATCH IN 360º: The Marawi humanitarian crisis)

All he could ask for now is make opportunities equal for Muslims.

"Magkaroon lang ng opportunity na kumbaga ay i-welcome ang youth na galing sa Marawi na nadisplace, mabigyan ng opportunity," he said.

(Hopefully, there could be opportunities to welcome the youth from Marawi City who were displaced, be given an opportunity.)

Another problem people from the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) experience when it comes to employment is the lack of information and government support in those areas.

Abdul-Ajidz Abdurahman, 24, from Tipo-Tipo in Basilan, said jobseekers in their area do not know when and where there are job vacancies.

"Hindi nila alam saan sila pupunta, sino ang lalapitan, ano iyong mga opportunity kasi 'di kami accessible sa internet connection, sa mga publication," he said.

(They don't know where they would go, who to go to, what are the opportunities because we don't have access to the internet, to publications.)

"Walang mga job fair. Ang mga job fair lang kasi diyan ay sa mga cities pero walang nangyayari doon sa mga municipalities," he added.

(There are no job fairs because job fairs are only conducted in cities but none for municipalities.)

For Francisco Lara Jr, country manager of conflict monitoring group International Alert, limiting workplace discrimination for Muslims is a way of promoting peace in the region. (READ: EndDiscriminationNow: On being Muslim and discriminated)

Lara said "unfairness" is the root of the rebellion in Mindanao

"Injustice is a very big issue but oftentimes, its unfairness. Injustice is like you are not able to get an education after the madrassah and you don't go up - that's injustice. But when you have an education,when you've done everything that is needed but still can't find a job, that is unfairness," he said.

"Oftentimes, that triggers extremism, not poverty," he added, stressing that the crisis in Marawi City should be solved through creating social and business spaces in the region more than relying on the military.

Working in this framework, International Alert launched on Tuesday, August 29, guidelines for companies to include equality and diversity in their hiring and management policies.

The Red Flag project, done in partnership with the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC), provides a set of practical guidelines against the discrimination of employees on the basis of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Some 40 firms from the banking, finance, service and extractive industries have joined the commitment to uphold the guidelines set by the project.

Nikki dela Rosa, deputy country manager of International Alert, said they will look into giving incentives to companies that will adhere to the standards.

"We are going to develop a tool kit, along with some professors of the Asian Institute of Management, in creating accessible tools for employers in terms of operationalizing the principles," she said.

But beyond this intervention, the groups urge the government to promote investments in Mindanao, which will ultimately solve the unemployment problem in the region.

"This is just a segment of most of the problems we have on the ground. A lot of the graduates coming in Muslim areas have difficulty [finding] jobs there. They experience discrimination from companies operating outside the ARMM. We believe this is [just a] stop gap," she said.

"The best way is to pressure government [to come out with the ] proper package to encourage investors there," she added. - Rappler.com

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Discrimination a hurdle for job-seeking Mindanao youth

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A conflict monitoring group launches a set of guidelines that seeks to end discrimination on the basis of ethnic and religious belief

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Working for women's work (Researched By: Jasmine Janae A. Jagonia)

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URL: https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2022/03/01/2164038/working-womens-work

TITLE: Working for women’s work

AUTHOR: Emmeline Aglipay-Villar

DATE PUBLISHED: March 1, 2022

KEY INFO:
Women from the Philippines face discrimination because of the stereotype that men are the breadwinners of their families while women stay at home. Women were the ones who were first unemployed during the pandemic because it was assumed that they lacked the qualities needed to become money-makers and were viewed as home caregivers. Mothers and women are burdened with the heavy expectations people set for them, which takes a toll on their mental state.

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One of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is that, metaphorically speaking, the world has moved backwards in time at least in so far as the prospects for women's equality are concerned. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has estimated that the pandemic may have cost us as much as four decades of progress in the fight against gender discrimination, particularly in the field of labor.

Even before the pandemic, women faced an uphill battle. The pay gap between men and women in similar positions persisted, as did discriminatory hiring practices based on patriarchal prejudices against women and their assumed role in the family and society at large. Even in the Philippines, which continually places at or near the top in the Asia Pacific Region in the WEF Global Gender Report, a closer look at the Global rankings will reveal that the country has been steadily dropping from #6 in 2008 to #17 in 2021. Patriarchal and misogynistic attitudes towards women remain deeply entrenched in our society, as any woman who spends time on social media will readily tell you.

COVID-19's arrival laid bare and exacerbated existing inequalities, and this included those that burden women in the workplace. Statistics show that, globally, the pandemic has hit women harder in terms of work, both paid and unpaid, particularly mothers. Data show that: women earned 86 percent of the median hourly earnings of a man in 2021, and that amongst people with no education beyond high school, women exited the labor force in greater numbers than similarly situated men.

Some of this can be attributed to the fact that many women are employed in sectors and occupations that require on-site work - such as those in retail, hospitality and education - and these were amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic. In the Philippines, more than six million women work in the informal economy, a sector that is mostly unregulated and with few labor protections such as paid leave. But the blame for women being pushed out of work cannot be laid solely on the nature of their employment. Bias against women, directly and indirectly, contributes as well. The director of the University of the Philippines Center for Women's and Gender Studies has said that some employers let go of women first because of the assumption that they are not the primary breadwinners of the family anyway - they are primarily seen as caregivers in the home. And when that attitude also continues within the family itself, we see situations where even when women retain their employment, they are still expected to care for the household with little, if any, help from their male partner.

This is all the more prevalent for mothers. The OECD Risks that Matter Survey 2020 gathered data from over 20 countries that showed mothers were almost three times more likely than fathers to say that they took on most of the housework related to school or childcare facility closures, and that mothers of children under 12 were the most likely group to become unemployed during the pandemic. When societal expectations place the burden of housework and children primarily or solely on the woman, not only does this impact a woman's ability to keep or look for a job, it can also severely harm their physical and mental health.

As COVID cases once again recede in our country and restrictions are once again loosened, it is important that public and private organizations move swiftly to improve the earning capacity of women. This cannot mean a mere return to the previous status quo, which has already been exposed to be disadvantageous to women. One of the few positive side effects of the pandemic is that it has forced many jobs to embrace remote work and more flexible schedules. Previously, the career and job prospects of a working mother would suffer every time she would need to decline assignments or opportunities because she needed to be at home taking care of her family. In occupations that have been able to support remote work and flexible schedules, this greatly reduced the number of times women and mothers would have to choose, allows them to be "on call" simultaneously at both work and the home.

But without addressing the underlying inequalities of societal expectation, such flexibility can actually be a double-edged sword. If remote work is still seen as inferior, or a compromise in favor of the worker, then the worker may actually work longer hours in a desire to compensate for this. This burden of expectation can easily become exploitation, and women and mothers will be pulled both ways... expected to both do work and take care of their families, and feeling guilty that doing these simultaneously makes them worse at both.

The changes we push for must be both structural and societal, taking aim at both inequalities of systems and the patriarchal mindsets that gave rise to them in the first place. Here are a few:

* There must be a greater drive for affordable childcare options for families, particularly for children with special needs. We cannot continue to place this burden on extended families, or presume access to kasambahays. We cannot have another generation of women being forced to choose between careers and family.

* We must lessen gender inequality at home and take aim at the idea that care of the home and children is a woman's responsibility. Incentivizing the involvement of the father through the grant of longer and mandatory paternal leave will help encourage long-term caregiving behavior for men as they take a more active role with their newborns.

* Private companies must be made active partners at changing their hiring processes (such as structured interviews) and corporate culture, and educated as to the harm gender bias does to productivity.

* There must be a continued push to allow remote work and flexible schedules, particularly where these have already been shown as possible during the pandemic. These positions should be treated as equal and not a lesser or lazier form of work, and workers must have the right to disconnect from their jobs at reasonable hours.

The world must work to keep women at work, to keep them free and equal. Women and mothers may be seen as the light of the home... but they are first and foremost human beings. If we truly value them, we must take care that their light does not burn out.

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One of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is that, metaphorically speaking, the world has moved backwards in time at least in so far as the prospects for women's equality are concerned. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has estimated that the pandemic may have cost us as much as four decades of progress in the fight against gender discrimination, particularly in the field of labor.

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Defeat COVID-19 and put an end to hate and discrimination: UN chief (Researched by: Stephanie Gabrielle T. Diamante)

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URL: https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/08/1070802

TITLE:

Defeat COVID-19 and put an end to hate and discrimination: UN chief

AUTHOR: UN News, 2022

DATE PUBLISHED: August 22, 2022

KEY INFO: As seen in the article, Secretary-General António Guterres of the United Nations calls for immediate action to address the cause of discrimination. He calls to promote inclusion among the people, to end discrimination among different religions. It is stated in the article that "The Strategy aims to enable the UN to respond to “the impact of hate speech on societies”, Mr. Guterres explained, by bringing individuals and groups together who have opposing views; working with traditional and social media platforms; and developing communications guidance."

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Defeat COVID-19 and put an end to hate and discrimination: UN chief

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In a message published on the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Violence Based on Religious Belief, which falls on 22 August, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a rise in racism since the spread of COVID-19 across the world.

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Ukraine conflict: African students fleeing war ‘facing racial discrimination’ (Researched by: Stephanie Gabrielle T. Diamante)

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5) LOCAL OR NATIONAL NEWS VIDEO SEGMENT 

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5) LOCAL OR NATIONAL NEWS VIDEO SEGMENT 

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URL:Ukraine conflict: African students fleeing war ‘facing racial discrimination’ - YouTube

TITLE:

Ukraine conflict: African students fleeing war ‘facing racial discrimination’

AUTHOR: Channel 4 News

DATE PUBLISHED: March 3, 2022

KEY INFO:  In the video, it is showed that African students that wish to escape from the conflict at Ukraine are being racially profiled. Because of this, they face discrimination just because of their race. As seen in the video, it is shown that there are some African students that are being chased at Poland.

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Ukraine conflict: African students fleeing war ‘facing racial discrimination’

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The Chinese students fighting racism - BBC News (Researched By: Lawrence Judd A. Lumain)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsVIvpXBYes

TITLE:
The Chinese students fighting racism - BBC News

AUTHOR: BBC News

DATE PUBLISHED: March 10, 2017

KEY INFO:
It shares the story of a group of Chinese students from Colombia University. They were being targeted by racist vandals who took their names off of their dorm doors, after this, they decide to protest by posting the meaning of their names on Facebook, their posts later became viral and caused a movement of people around the world also sharing the meaning of their names. This video delves into how the movement began and the circumstances that led up to the explosion of the viral Facebook movement, while also interviewing the students and getting their opinion on the whole movement.

This is still relevant in the context of our topic since the students in this video are fighting cultural discrimination and are protesting against it, their actions and movement are advocating the fight against cultural discrimination. This is also relevant to the Davao context since there are also a population of Chinese people here in Davao and they might be facing discrimination, this video might also inspire them to share their stories and advocate the fight against cultural discrimination.

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The Chinese students fighting racism - BBC News

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Posters for resisting racism and bigotry (Researched By: Jasmine Janae A. Jagonia)

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URL: https://www.afsc.org/resource/posters-resisting-racism-and-bigotry

TITLE: We All Belong Here

AUTHOR: Micah Bazant

DATE PUBLISHED: January 18, 2017

KEY INFO:
Following the presidential election, the LGBTQ, black, and Muslim populations in the United States all experienced attacks. These victims were attacked on the streets, in public places, and in schools.

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Display these images in your community to help create welcoming spaces for all.

Driven by a desire to provide tools for schools and the larger community to stand with Muslims, immigrants, women, and Black and LGBTQ communities, artists Micah Bazant and Kate DeCiccio partnered with AFSC, Forward Together, Jewish Voice for Peace, Center for New Community, and Showing Up for Racial Justice to produce these posters.
Share these posters widely in your community:

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Posters for resisting racism and bigotry

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Driven by a desire to provide tools for schools and the larger community to stand with Muslims, immigrants, women, and Black and LGBTQ communities, artists Micah Bazant and Kate DeCiccio partnered with AFSC, Forward Together, Jewish Voice for Peace, Center for New Community, and Showing Up for Racial Justice to produce these posters.

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Protecting the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples (Researched by: Alexandra Uriel D. Paraguya) 

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8) PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OR PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

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8) PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OR PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

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URL: https://youtu.be/DXz96CvgEy4

TITLE: Protecting the rights and well-being of Indigenous people

AUTHOR: United Nations

DATE PUBLISHED: April 3, 2018

KEY INFO:
It shares that indigenous people are vulnerable since they face increasing pressures to exploit their ancestral lands; the United Nations help them voice out their challenges and find solutions. They talk about the indigenous people's right to their lands, territories, and resources and the other threats they face. Jane Meriwas, a speaker of Indigenous People, hopes the recommendations will be disseminated to their country. As the Indigenous People say, "We are not the problem; we want to be part of the solution. We are not against development, and we want to be part of the development but the development on our terms."

The United Nations promise to leave no one behind; it includes the Indigenous People. By protecting their rights and custodians, we can fight against cultural discrimination and protect our planet together. We can compare this situation here in Mindanao.

Here in Mindanao, it's full of many diverse cultures. We have different tribes that reside here and face the same problems with their rights, land, properties, and resources. Some sell properties such as their ancestral lands because poverty causes them to move to the city and sometimes loiter on the streets. Others were looked down upon by other people because of their origins. We need to fight against this horrid discrimination and inequality.

Even though we have differences, we all need to respect and help each other to live together in harmony.

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Protecting the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples

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Mindanao: Cultural Diversity (Researched by: Alexandra Uriel D. Paraguya)

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URL: https://cpcabrisbane.org/Kasama/2002/V16n2/Mindanao.htm

TITLE: Mindanao: Cultural Diversity

AUTHOR: Solidarity Philippines Australia Network

DATE PUBLISHED: April-May-June 2002

KEY INFO: This article made by Solidarity Philippines Australia Network shares that Mindanao is a place full of many diverse cultures. People must recognize and respect each other's differences for people to exist together and live in peace. In order to fight against cultural discrimination and to have peace, human rights should be treated as an important piece in achieving it.

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KASAMA Vol. 16 No. 2 / April-May-June 2002 / Solidarity Philippines Australia Network

Mindanao: Cultural Diversity

Mindanao is a cultural tapestry. It is home to 18 Lumad tribes, 13 ethnic-linguistic Moro tribes and 64 settler groups who have lived in the island for over a century already. Mindanao is an island of peoples with diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultural differences.

But for people to coexist in an island, they have to recognise these differences. It takes recognition of such diversity to pave the way for respect. Such acceptance would strengthen the distinctiveness as a people and as well preserve the respective cultural identities of Lumads, Moros and settlers.

Peace can be achieved if people were able to experience and maintain their wholeness as human beings. Peace is felt if human dignity is preserved. This can only be possible if human rights are recognized, respected and defended at all times. Peace will remain elusive if justice is not fully rendered. Human rights then should be treated as an integral component of peace.

The struggle for self determination as espoused by peoples in Mindanao has been a protracted one - in various forms and levels - from the mountains, to the streets and to the cold halls of the congress.

The right to choose and decide what is best as a people is a sacred right. The deprivation of it would render a subservient people with no political will; with no determination to chart their own lives.

Mindanao Tripeople's Caucus, 2001
Related Articles

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Mindanao is a cultural tapestry. It is home to 18 Lumad tribes, 13 ethnic-linguistic Moro tribes and 64 settler groups who have lived in the island for over a century already. Mindanao is an island of peoples with diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultural differences.

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"Just Let Us Be" (Researched by: Stephanie Gabrielle T. Diamante)

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URL: https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/06/21/just-let-us-be/discrimination-against-lgbt-students-philippines

TITLE:

“Just Let Us Be”

Discrimination Against LGBT Students in the Philippines

AUTHOR: Ryan Thoreson

DATE PUBLISHED: June 21, 2017

KEY INFO:
In the blog, it is stated that "students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) too often find that their schooling experience is marred by bullying, discrimination, lack of access to LGBT-related information, and in some cases, physical or sexual assault." It shows us that those in the LGBTQ+ spectrum are often discriminated for who they are as people at their schools, which is supposed to be a safe haven for students who wish to learn. The blog also shows us the perspectives of the students affected, and how it affected their lives.

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[Senator and boxing legend] Manny Pacquiao says we're not human. They should just let us be.

- Edgar T., an 18-year-old gay high school student in Manila, February 2017

Schools should be safe places for everyone. But in the Philippines, students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) too often find that their schooling experience is marred by bullying, discrimination, lack of access to LGBT-related information, and in some cases, physical or sexual assault. These abuses can cause deep and lasting harm and curtail students' right to education, protected under Philippine and international law.

In recent years, lawmakers and school administrators in the Philippines have recognized that bullying of LGBT youth is a serious problem, and designed interventions to address it. In 2012, the Department of Education (DepEd), which oversees primary and secondary schools, enacted a Child Protection Policy designed to address bullying and discrimination in schools, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The following year, Congress passed the Anti-Bullying Law of 2013, with implementing rules and regulations that enumerate sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited grounds for bullying and harassment. The adoption of these policies sends a strong signal that bullying and discrimination are unacceptable and should not be tolerated in educational institutions.

But these policies, while strong on paper, have not been adequately enforced. In the absence of effective implementation and monitoring, many LGBT youth continue to experience bullying and harassment in school. The adverse treatment they experience from peers and teachers is compounded by discriminatory policies that stigmatize and disadvantage LGBT students and by the lack of information and resources about LGBT issues available in schools.

This report is based on interviews and group discussions conducted in 10 cities on the major Philippine islands of Luzon and the Visayas with 76 secondary school students or recent graduates who identified as LGBT or questioning, 22 students or recent graduates who did not identify as LGBT or questioning, and 46 parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, service providers, and experts on education. It examines three broad areas in which LGBT students encounter problems-bullying and harassment, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and a lack of information and resources-and recommends steps that lawmakers, DepEd, and school administrators should take to uphold LGBT students' right to a safe and affirming educational environment.

The incidents described in this report illustrate the vital importance of expanding and enforcing protections for LGBT youth in schools. Despite prohibitions on bullying, for example, students across the Philippines described patterns of bullying and mistreatment that went unchecked by school staff. Carlos M., a 19-year-old gay student from Olongapo City, said: "When I was in high school, they'd push me, punch me. When I'd get out of school, they'd follow me [and] push me, call me 'gay,' 'faggot,' things like that." While verbal bullying appeared to be the most prevalent problem that LGBT students faced, physical bullying and sexualized harassment were also worryingly common-and while students were most often the culprits, teachers ignored or participated in bullying as well. The effects of this bullying were devastating to the youth who were targeted. Benjie A., a 20-year-old gay man in Manila who was bullied throughout his education, said, "I was depressed, I was bullied, I didn't know my sexuality, I felt unloved, and I felt alone all the time. And I had friends, but I still felt so lonely. I was listing ways to die."

The mistreatment that students faced in schools was exacerbated by discriminatory policies and practices that excluded them from fully participating in the school environment. Schools impose rigid gender norms on students in a variety of ways-for example, through gendered uniforms or dress codes, restrictions on hair length, gendered restrooms, classes and activities that differ for boys and girls, and close scrutiny of same-sex friendships and relationships. For example, Marisol D., a 21-year-old transgender woman, said:

When I was in high school, there was a teacher who always went around and if you had long hair, she would call you up to the front of the class and cut your hair in front of the students. That happened to me many times. It made me feel terrible: I cried because I saw my classmates watching me getting my hair cut.

These policies are particularly difficult for transgender students, who are typically treated as their sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity. But they can also be challenging for students who are gender non-conforming, and feel most comfortable expressing themselves or participating in activities that the school considers inappropriate for their sex.

Efforts to address discrimination against LGBT people have met with resistance, including by religious leaders. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has condemned violence and discrimination against LGBT people, but in practice, the Roman Catholic Church has resisted laws and policies that would protect LGBT rights. The CBCP has sought to weaken anti-discrimination legislation pending before Congress, for example, and has opposed implementation of comprehensive sexuality education in schools. Representatives of the Church warn that recognizing LGBT rights will open the door to same-sex marriage, and oppose legislation that might promote divorce, euthanasia, abortion, total population control, and homosexual marriage, which they group under the acronym "DEATH." In a country that is more than 80 percent Catholic, opposition from the Church influences how LGBT issues are addressed in families and schools, with many parents and teachers telling students that being LGBT is immoral or wrong.

One way that schools can address bullying and discrimination and ameliorate their effects is by providing educational resources to students, teachers, and staff to familiarize them with LGBT people and issues. Unfortunately, positive information and resources regarding sexual orientation and gender identity are exceedingly rare in secondary schools in the Philippines. When students do learn about LGBT people and issues in schools, the messages are typically negative, rejecting same-sex relationships and transgender identities as immoral or unnatural. Juan N., a 22-year-old transgender man who had attended high school in Manila, said, "There would be a lecture where they'd somehow pass by the topic of homosexuality and show you, try to illustrate that in the Bible, in Christian theology, homosexuality is a sin, and if you want to be a good Christian you shouldn't engage in those activities." Virtually all the students interviewed by Human Rights Watch said the limited sexuality education they received did not include information that was relevant to them as LGBT youth, and few reported having access to supportive guidance counselors or school personnel.

When students face these issues-whether in isolation or together-the school can become a difficult or hostile environment. In addition to physical and psychological injury, students described how bullying, discrimination, and exclusion caused them to lose concentration, skip class, or seek to transfer schools-all impairing their right to education. For the right to education to have meaning for all students-including LGBT students-teachers, administrators, and lawmakers need to work together with LGBT advocates to ensure that schools become safer and more inclusive places for LGBT children to learn.

To the Congress of the Philippines

Enact an anti-discrimination bill that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, including in education, employment, health care, and public accommodations.

To the Department of Education

Create a system to gather and publish data about bullying on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Revise forms to more clearly differentiate and record incidents of gender-based bullying on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and include these categories on all forms related to bullying, abuse, or violence against children.

Revise the standard sexuality education curriculum to ensure it aligns with UNESCO's guidelines for comprehensive sexuality education, is medically and scientifically accurate, is inclusive of LGBT youth, and covers same-sex activity on equal footing with other sexual activity.

Issue an order instructing schools to respect students' gender identity with regard to dress codes, access to facilities, and participation in curricular and extracurricular activities.

To Local Officials

Enact local ordinances to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, particularly in education, employment, healthcare, and public accommodations.

To School Administrators

Adopt anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policies that are inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity, inform students how they should report incidents of bullying, and specify consequences for bullying.

Human Rights Watch conducted the research for this report between September 2016 and February 2017 in 10 cities on the major islands of Luzon and the Visayas in the Philippines. To identify interviewees, we conducted outreach through LGBT student groups, particularly at the university level. Human Rights Watch interviewed members of those groups as well as students who were known to those groups, whether or not they had experienced discrimination in school. We sought interviews with students of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, but gay boys and transgender girls were disproportionately represented among the students identified by LGBT groups and the students who attended the group discussions.

Human Rights Watch conducted a total of 144 interviews, including with 73 secondary school students or recent graduates who affirmatively identified as LGBT or questioning, 25 students or recent graduates who did not affirmatively identify as LGBT or questioning, and 46 parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, service providers, and experts on education. Of the LGBT students, 33 identified as gay, 12 identified as transgender girls, 10 identified as bisexual girls, 6 identified as lesbians, 4 identified only as "LGBT," 3 identified as transgender boys, 2 identified as bisexual boys, 2 identified as questioning, and 1 identified as a panromantic girl.

Interviews were conducted in English or in Tagalog or Visayan with the assistance of a translator. No compensation was paid to interviewees. Whenever possible, interviews were conducted one-on-one in a private setting. Researchers also spoke with interviewees in pairs, trios, or small groups when students asked to meet together or when time and space constraints required meeting with members of student organizations simultaneously. Researchers obtained oral informed consent from interviewees after explaining the purpose of the interviews, how the material would be used, that interviewees did not need to answer any questions, and that they could stop the interview at any time. When students were interviewed in groups, those who were present but did not actively volunteer information were not counted in our final pool of interviewees.

Human Rights Watch sent a copy of the findings in this report by email, fax, and post to DepEd on May 15, 2017 to obtain their input on the issues students identified. Human Rights Watch requested input from DepEd by June 2, 2017 to incorporate their views into this report, but did not receive a response.

In this report, pseudonyms are used for all interviewees who are students, teachers, or administrators in schools. Unless requested by interviewees, pseudonyms are not used for individuals and organizations who work in a public capacity on the issues discussed in this report.

Synonym in many parts of the world for homosexual; primarily used here to refer to the sexual orientation of a man whose primary sexual and romantic attraction is towards other men. In the Philippines, the term "gay" can also refer to a person who is assigned male at birth but expresses themselves in a feminine manner or identifies as a woman.

A descriptor for people who do not conform to stereotypical appearances, behaviors, or traits associated with their sex assigned at birth.

A sexual orientation in which a person's primary sexual and romantic attractions are toward people of the same sex.

The Philippines has a long history of robust LGBT advocacy. In 1996, LGBT individuals and groups held a solidarity march to commemorate Pride in Manila, which many activists describe as the first known Pride March in Asia. Lawmakers began introducing bills to advance the rights of LGBT people in the country in 1995, including variations of a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill that has been reintroduced periodically since 2000.

In the absence of federal legislation, local government units across the Philippines have begun to enact their own anti-discrimination ordinances that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. As of June 2017, 15 municipalities and 5 provinces had ordinances prohibiting some forms of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Attitudes toward LGBT people are relatively open and tolerant; a survey conducted in 2013 found that 73 percent of Filipinos believe "society should accept homosexuality," up from 64 percent who believed the same in 2002. President Rodrigo Duterte has generally been supportive of LGBT rights as well. During his time as mayor, Davao City passed an LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance, and on the campaign trail, he vocally condemned bullying and discrimination against LGBT people.

The anti-discrimination ordinances that have passed in the absence of federal legislation remain largely symbolic, as Quezon City is the only local government unit to follow the passage of its ordinance with implementing rules and regulations that are required to make such an ordinance enforceable. Even if fully enforced, these municipal and provincial ordinances would collectively cover only 15 percent of the population of the Philippines.

In spite of this opposition, activists' lengthy efforts to engage policymakers on LGBT issues have led to important protections for LGBT youth, as discussed below. But these protections have not been effectively implemented. They will need to be strengthened and expanded if they are to uphold the rights of LGBT youth in schools.

Existing Protections for LGBT Youth and Their Limitations

Child Protection Policy

In 2012, DepEd enacted a Child Protection Policy, which it describes as a "zero tolerance policy for any act of child abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying and other forms of abuse." Among the acts prohibited by the policy are all forms of bullying and discrimination in schools, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Anti-Bullying Law

Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Effects of Bullying and Discrimination

As DepEd and the Congress recognized with their initial efforts to address bullying in schools, exclusion and marginalization can exact a damaging toll on the rights and well-being of LGBT youth. In addition to the documentation contained in this report, data collected by the Philippine government, academics, and civil society organizations illustrate how bullying and harassment, discrimination, and a lack of access to information and resources are adversely affecting LGBT youth across the Philippines.

In the Philippines, as elsewhere, violence and discrimination place LGBT youth at heightened risk of adverse physical and mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicide. As the Psychological Association of the Philippines has noted, "LGBT Filipinos often confront social pressures to hide, suppress or even attempt to change their identities and expressions as conditions for their social acceptance and enjoyment of rights. Although many LGBTs learn to cope with this social stigma, these experiences can cause serious psychological distress, including immediate consequences such as fear, sadness, alienation, anger and internalized stigma." This has been borne out in small-scale empirical studies on LGBT youth and mental health in schools. One such study found that LGBT high schoolers were preoccupied with stigma, violence, bullying, discrimination in school, and anxiety over their future career prospects. Nor do these problems end upon graduation from high school; another study determined that "LGBT college students exhibited extremely underdeveloped emotional and social capacity because they continue to experience stigma, prejudice and discrimination in the Philippine society that served as specific stressors that have an impact on their emotional and social intelligent behaviors."

On a broader scale, the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts for LGBT youth is evident in nationally representative data. The results of the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey 3, for example, indicate that 16 percent of young gay and bisexual men in the Philippines had contemplated suicide, while only 8 percent of young heterosexual men had done so. Young gay and bisexual men were also more likely to attempt suicide, with 39 percent of those who had contemplated suicide actually attempting suicide, compared to 26 percent of their heterosexual peers. A similar trend was evident for young lesbian and bisexual women; 27 percent of young lesbian and bisexual women contemplated suicide compared to 18 percent of young heterosexual women, and of those who considered suicide, 6.6 percent of lesbian and bisexual women made suicide attempts compared to only 3.9 percent of their heterosexual peers. GALANG, a Philippine nongovernmental organization that works with lesbian and bisexual women and transgender people, found even higher rates among their constituencies. In a survey conducted in 2015, researchers from GALANG found that 18 percent of LBT respondents, who were almost all between the ages of 18 and 29, had attempted suicide.

Physical Bullying

As detailed below, very few of the students interviewed reported bullying to teachers, either because they felt that reporting would not resolve the bullying or because they feared that reporting would lead to retaliation by other students and make the situation worse. In some instances, teachers also participated in harassment. Such behavior is not only discriminatory toward students of different sexual orientations and gender identities, but deters students from turning to teachers and administrators for help when they are bullied or harassed by their peers.

Sexual Assault and Harassment

Verbal Harassment

The most common form of bullying that LGBT students reported in interviews with Human Rights Watch was verbal harassment. This included chants of " bakla, bakla," " bayot, bayot," "tomboy," or " tibo," using local terms for gay, lesbian, or transgender students in a mocking fashion.

Daniel R., an 18-year-old gay student in Bacacay, said "People will say gay-they'll say 'gay, gay,' repeating it, and insulting us." Ernesto N., a gay teacher in Cebu City, observed, "Here in the Philippines, being called bayot, it's discrimination. It's being told you're nothing, you're lower than dirt. That you're a sinner, that you should go to Hell."

Many students described being labeled as sinners or aberrations. Leon S., a 19-year-old gay student from Malolos, said that "[s]tudents would say that homosexuality is a sin." Marco L., a 17-year-old gay student in Bacacay, said that "[p]eople say ipako sa krus, that you should be crucified." Gabriel K., a 19-year-old gay student who attended high school in Manila, said people told gay students "that you have to be crucified because you're a sinner."

Others described how they were treated as though they were diseased or contagious. Felix P., a 22-year-old gay high school student in Legazpi, noted: "Here, they call us 'carriers'-there's a stereotype that gays are responsible for HIV." Benjie A., a 20-year-old gay man in Manila, recalled a classmate telling him "don't come near me because you'll make me gay."

Some students altered their behavior or personality in an attempt to avoid disapproval from classmates. Patrick G., a 19-year-old gay man who had attended high school in Cainta, said:

They were teasing me for being effeminate. I developed this concept of how a man should walk, how a man should talk. It became-maybe because of them calling me malamya [effeminate], I became the person that I'm not. I was forced to be masculine, just for them to stop teasing me.

In addition to verbal harassment by peers, many LGBT students described verbal harassment and slurs from teachers and administrators. Patrick G., a 19-year-old gay man, said that at his high school in Cainta, "[s]ometimes teachers would join in with ' bakla, bakla.'" Jerome B., a 19-year-old gay man from Cebu City, said that "it really feels bad, because the only figure you can count on is your teacher, and they're joining in the fun, so who should I tell about my problems?"

Cyberbullying

As students interact with their peers on social media and in other virtual spaces, cyberbullying has increasingly impacted LGBT youth in schools. LGBT students described anti-LGBT comments and slurs as well as rapidly spreading rumors facilitated by social media.

Leon S., a 19-year-old gay student from Malolos, said: "They would post things online, which is a far easier thing to do than say it personally.... I would post something, and they would comment about my sexual orientation. It was the usual, bakla, bading." Marisol D., a 21-year-old transgender woman, similarly noted, "Some of my friends would put comments like bakla, bakla on my posts. You just ignore it... [b]ecause if they see that you're being affected they'll bully you more." Carlos M., a 19-year-old gay student from Olongapo City, said, "My classmates would post stuff online-memes against LGBT, Satan saying 'I'm waiting for you here.'"

Cyberbullying also draws on stereotypes about LGBT students, and particularly transgender women and girls, with harsh disapprobation for those who were perceived to fall short of social expectations. Geoff Morgado, a social worker, observed that:

Intervention and Reporting

Human Rights Watch heard repeatedly that schools fail to instruct students about what bullying entails, how to report incidents when they occur, and what the repercussions will be. As a result, many schools convey tacit acceptance to perpetrators and leave victims unaware of whether or how they can seek help.

When students do not know how to report bullying and harassment or do not believe that reporting would be effective, they are unlikely to bring incidents to the attention of teachers and administrators. Jerome B., a 19-year-old gay man from Cebu City, said:

Interviews with LGBT students indicate that many teachers fail to intervene when they witness bullying or harassment occurring or it is brought to their attention, even since passage of the Anti-Bullying Law, which in turn discourages students from reporting cases of bullying. Analyn V., a 17-year-old bisexual girl in Mandaue City, said, "Teachers don't step in. They think it's a joke. But some jokes are below the belt. We conceal being hurt because maybe they think it's overreacting." "The teachers don't say anything or get mad -if they hear people saying bakla, they just smile or laugh," said Felix P., a 22-year-old gay high school student in Legazpi. "Teachers might ask the students to stop, but they don't punish them. And as soon as they leave, the bullying happens again."
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As a coalition of Philippine organizations has noted, in many instances, "[b]ullying and other forms of violence within the schools or education settings is steered by institutional policies," for example, "through gender-insensitive curricula, SOGI-insensitive school policies (e.g. required haircuts and dress codes), and [a] culture of bullying." As evidenced in the following sections, the many forms of exclusion and marginalization that LGBT youth experience in Philippine schools can reinforce one another. In schools where LGBT youth lack information and resources, for example, they may struggle more deeply with their sexual orientation or gender identity or be unsure where to turn for help. In schools where policies discriminate against LGBT youth, they may be placed in situations where bullying by peers is likely to occur and may feel administrators are unlikely to help them.

In addition to bullying and harassment, LGBT students encounter various forms of discrimination that make educational environments hostile or unwelcoming. To ensure that all youth feel safe and included in schools, school administrators should examine policies and practices that punish LGBT students for relationships that are considered acceptable for their heterosexual peers, restrict gender expression and access to facilities, and stereotype LGBT youth in a discriminatory manner.

School Enforcement of Stereotyped Gender Norms

Uniforms and Hair Length Restrictions

It is common practice for secondary schools in the Philippines to require students to wear uniforms. Under these policies, the attire is gender-specific and the two options, male or female, are typically imposed upon students according to the sex they were assigned at birth.

In addition to clothing, many secondary schools have strict hair-length restrictions for their students, particularly for boys. Almost all interviewees reported that boys could not grow out their hair past ear-length or dye their hair at their schools, and many also noted that girls were prohibited from wearing their hair shorter than a permissible length.

Students whose gender expression differed from the norms associated with their sex assigned at birth told Human Rights Watch how these restrictions impeded their education. Students reported that being forced to dress or present themselves in a manner that was inconsistent with their gender expression made them unhappy and uncomfortable, lessened their confidence, and impaired their concentration. As Del M., a 14-year-old lesbian student who was allowed to wear the boys' uniform, remarked, "It's easier for me to learn wearing the boys' uniform."

At many of these schools, students who did not conform to the uniform and hair-length requirements faced disciplinary action. Common punishments included being sent to the guidance or discipline offices and mandatory community service. Ella M., a 23-year-old transgender woman who had attended high school in Manila, described being punished solely on this basis of her general gender presentation. She said that her school's handbook punished an "act of effeminacy," not further defined, with "a conduct grade of 75, which basically means you did something really really bad. I might as well have cheated."

Marisol D., a 21-year-old transgender woman, said:

Other interviewees reported similar incidents in which teachers or prefects would publicly call out students in violation of the restrictions and forcibly cut their hair in front of the class.

Jerome B., a 19-year-old gay man, said that in his high school in Cebu City:

It applies for all boys. If [your hair] touches the ear and you don't cut it, the school will cut it for you, and they do it in front of your classmates. The Student Affairs Officer who enforces the rules, once a month he would go to each classroom and knock, and say, "All those with long hair go outside," and he would go one by one with these large, rusty scissors like the kind you see in horror movies, and they'd cut our hair in front of everybody....
I think on purpose, he'd cut it very badly.

In most cases, teachers and administrators provided little to no explanation for the hair-length requirements when students asked about the policies at their respective schools. Felix P., a 22-year-old gay high school student in Legazpi, told Human Rights Watch:

As Lyn C., a 19-year-old transgender woman in Manila, recounted, gendered clothing requirements also extended to school-sponsored events such as prom nights:

Even when students are formally permitted to wear the uniforms of their choice, however, school personnel at times harass or humiliate them in practice. Gabby W., a 16-year-old transgender girl in high school in Bayombong, told Human Rights Watch:

Uniform and Hair Length Restrictions in Universities

Although this report focuses on secondary schools, many interviewees said they had experienced similar issues with uniform and hair-length restrictions at the university level.

In some extreme cases, students who repeatedly "cross-dressed"-a term that schools and some students used to describe gay, lesbian, or transgender students expressing their gender in school-were suspended or even expelled. According to Danica J., a 19-year-old lesbian woman at a university in Manila, "people are punished if they violate the uniform policy. It's like a disciplinary action. They won't let you in if you're cross-dressing, and after a couple times, you can be suspended or expelled."

As one 19-year-old university student in Caloocan told Human Rights Watch,

In our school, there are policies that if you cross-dress you will be suspended for one day. Your freedom of expression is very limited. I know we had policies against LGBTQ. We had hair-length restrictions-for guys, the shaved hair has to be three inches on the side, four inches in the back. So every time, if the hair passes three to four inches, the faculty will cut our hair. And even here in the university, the handbook says male students must only have hair to their ears.

Even in universities without formal uniform or hair-length policies, however, transgender and gender-fluid students sometimes reported harassment or reprisals from teachers, classmates, and administrators when they expressed their gender. Patrick G., a 19-year-old gay man in Manila, said that despite a policy at his university guaranteeing students the freedom to dress based on their gender expression, he was aware of one case in which the Discipline Office (DO) summoned a transgender woman to interrogate her about her clothing: "She was within the scope of the policy, but the DO said, 'Are you not ashamed of what you're wearing? Are you not thinking of how others will think about how you dress?'"

Dalisay N., a 20-year-old panromantic woman at a university in Caloocan, said:

When I enrolled in college, I even talked to the head of the office for student affairs, and told her I'm not comfortable wearing a skirt. They allow us to wear

slacks, but it's different from the male uniform. And she said, "What are you, you're a female, right?" I was speechless.

The guards are also a headache. They'll ask, "Why are you wearing slacks? Why aren't you wearing women's shoes?" I tell them I'm not comfortable wearing that. And sometimes they'll even look me up and down from head to toe, which is really uncomfortable.

Carlos M., a 19-year-old gay student at the same university, said that university security guards forced transgender women to go home if they were wearing makeup or long hair.

According to Lyn C., a 19-year-old transgender woman at a university in Manila:

The first three years of my school days we were just hiding ourselves, because if the guards and administration know that we're transgender we'll be punished. When the guard knows you're transgender, you'll be sanctioned. They'd send you to the discipline office... you'd get community service or suspension. It was really difficult for us, to hide our very identities.

Lyn's university removed its uniform and hair-length restrictions in January 2017 after years of persistent advocacy from student groups. However, even after the changes, some students still faced discrimination from teachers.

Several interviewees also told Human Rights Watch that they or their classmates had dropped out of classes or transferred sections at their universities to avoid conflicts with professors who were hostile to transgender students.

Certain departments and colleges also tend to have more stringent uniform and hair-length restrictions than their affiliated universities, often forcing transgender students to conform in order to matriculate. Some students and professors identified colleges of hospitality, management, and education among those requiring gendered clothing, irrespective of the broader university's policies.

Access to Facilities

For students who are transgender or identify as a sex other than their sex assigned at birth, rigid gender restrictions can be stressful and make learning difficult. One of the areas where gender restrictions arose most often for LGBT interviewees was in access to toilet facilities, known in the Philippines as "comfort rooms" (CRs). Most interviewees said that their schools required students to use CRs that aligned with their sex assigned at birth, regardless of how they identified or where they were most comfortable. Some said that both female and male CRs posed safety risks or made them uncomfortable, but that all-gender restrooms were scarce.

Some schools punish students for using the CRs where they felt comfortable. Ruby S., a 16-year-old transgender girl who attended high school in Batangas, said:

I was called by the administration when I used the CR for the girls. They said you're not allowed to use it just because you feel like you're a girl. They used that as a black mark on my campaign for student council. They said, even though he wants to be student council president, he doesn't follow the rules.

Access to Facilities in Universities

Policies that prevent students from accessing restrooms consistent with their gender identity exist in post-secondary institutions as well.

Dalisay N., a 20-year-old panromantic woman at a university in Caloocan, said:

Some of the trans women in our support group, the guards would shout, "Why are you using that restroom? You're not allowed in there," which for me is disrespectful. Why do they care? They're just putting on makeup, and they just want to feel safe when they pee. Because there's a lot of teasing and bullying in the men's room.

Marisol D., a 21-year-old transgender woman, said that in her university, instructors reported transgender students to the discipline office for using the "wrong" restroom. Ace F., a 24-year-old gay man in Manila, noted that another member of his university's LGBT group "was apprehended by our school administration-she's a transgender woman and she used a girl's bathroom. The office of student behavior gave her a minor disciplinary offense."

As in secondary schools, university policies that prevent students from accessing facilities on the basis of their gender identity are discriminatory and function to undermine student safety, health, privacy, and the right to education.

Gender Classifications

Hostility Toward Same-Sex Relationships

Many schools in the Philippines have policies restricting public displays of affection among students, and outline those policies in student handbooks or codes of conduct. Yet LGBT students reported that their relationships were policed more carefully or punished more harshly than their non-LGBT peers. In particular, young lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men who attended exclusive schools-those that are only open to one sex-reported that their friendships and relationships were closely scrutinized and policed by school staff.

Juan N., a 22-year-old transgender man who had attended high school in Manila, said:

Angelica R., a 22-year-old bisexual woman who had attended high school in Manila, said that more masculine girls were especially targeted to keep them from becoming close with other girls:

Pressure to Conform to Stereotypes

LGBT youth also described the pressure that teachers and administrators imposed on them to act in a stereotypical fashion.

Many of the LGBT youth interviewed by Human Rights Watch emphasized that, to the extent they were respected in school, they had earned that respect by being better students than their peers. Often, this meant that LGBT students were tasked with more work or responsibilities than other students as part of the price they paid to be accepted and respected. Eric Manalastas, a psychology professor at the University of the Philippines who has conducted research on LGBT youth issues, found that:

Manalastas found that the demand to be "respectable" put a heavy burden on LGBT students who did not conform: "It may be that gay students are warmly received, generally speaking, but if you're characterized as one of the indecent ones-perceived as very sexual, very loud, very gender non-conforming or outré, it's different." He added that LGBT people from lower socioeconomic strata often face double discrimination, as exemplified by the common insult baklang kalye-"you're bakla and also you come from the streets, you don't have a proper house, you're poor."

Some students were keenly aware of these conditions and expressed frustration with them, voicing a desire to be treated with the same inherent respect as their non-LGBT classmates. Felix P., a 22-year-old gay high school student in Legazpi, said:

Jerome B., a 19-year-old gay man from Cebu City, described another stereotype that he found oppressive: the idea that gay males should be entertainers, jokers, and talented performers. He said classmates and teachers:

Young lesbian women encounter different stereotypes. Dalisay N., a 20-year-old panromantic woman who had attended high school in Manila, observed that lesbian girls were particularly disadvantaged by teachers because "the lesbian community, they don't see us like that, like the gays, the creative ones who do something artsy, that gay people are at the top of the list."Instead, according to Eric Manalastas, "the stereotype with lesbians is that they're dangerous, a danger to other female students. Not in terms of being violent, but maybe as predatory. Or generally a bad influence-not good for moral development-as though they aren't also adolescents themselves." In interviews with Human Rights Watch, young bisexual women recounted how teachers scrutinized girls they considered "butch" or masculine, and took steps to separate them from other girls to prevent them from becoming close.

For youth who are transgender, pressure to "pass" according to their gender identity and, for transgender girls, to achieve high standards of physical beauty, were a serious source of stress for those who felt they lacked the ability or resources to meet the expectations of others.

These stereotypes were among the most consistent themes in interviews with LGBT youth. They illustrate how attitudes and informal practices, even when well-intentioned, can place heavy expectations on LGBT youth and undermine the notion that all youth are deserving of respect and acceptance. They underscore the importance of anti-bullying efforts, information and resources, and antidiscrimination policies that emphasize that all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, have rights that must be respected in schools.

When LGBT students face hostility in their homes, communities, and peer groups, access to affirming information and resources is vitally important. In interviews, however, few LGBT students in the Philippines felt that their schools provided adequate access to information and resources about sexual orientation, gender identity, and being LGBT.

School Curricula

Very few of the LGBT students interviewed by Human Rights Watch said they encountered positive portrayals of LGBT people as part of the school curriculum.

In many cases, LGBT people were simply invisible, with no acknowledgment that people are LGBT or discussion of LGBT history, literature, or other issues. One study found that, in elementary school textbooks required by DepEd:

Comprehensive Sexuality Education

In order to understand their own sexuality and to make responsible choices, LGBT students, as well as other students, need access to information about sexuality that is non-judgmental and takes into account the whole range of human intimacy. In recent years, many countries have moved toward providing comprehensive sexuality education, which UNESCO describes as an "age-appropriate, culturally relevant approach to teaching about sex and relationships by providing scientifically accurate, realistic, non-judgmental information."

In interviews with Human Rights Watch, students who received sexuality education described receiving that education at various grade levels, with varying degrees of comprehensiveness. But across the board, they stated that their sexuality education classes either excluded any discussion of LGBT people or conveyed inaccurate and stigmatizing messages about same-sex conduct and the existence of transgender people.

In many instances, sexuality education conveyed misinformation or disapproval about LGBT identities and relationships. Gabby W., a 16-year-old transgender girl at a high school in Bayombong, said that teachers "always say that gay is a disease, that it's a contagious disease. Or say being gay is a sin." Bea R., a 22-year-old transgender woman at another school in the area, said that although science teachers do cover safer sex at her school, "They say that LGBT are the ones spreading HIV and chlamydia." Francis C., a 19-year-old gay student from Pulilan, was similarly told by teachers "that there were same-sex who were doing those activities, but they would say that if two males or two female did those activities, they would become sick or ill." Jonas E., a 17-year-old gay boy in high school in Mandaue City, noted: "I get really offended when they talk about HIV. They say that gays are the main focus of HIV... I'm a bit ashamed of that, because I was once in section where I'm the only gay, and they kept pointing at me."

Counseling and Support

In addition to formal curricula, schools provide a variety of resources to students. Support from teachers, guidance counselors, school psychologists, and other school personnel is a valuable asset, and should be available to guide LGBT youth as well as their non-LGBT peers. According to UNESCO, "support from teachers can have a particularly positive impact on LGBT and intersex students, improving their self-esteem and contributing to less absenteeism, greater feelings of safety and belonging and better academic achievement."

Although some counselors have created successful programs for LGBT students, such as support groups, such efforts need to have support from the school administration to ensure counselors are recognized as affirming, non-judgmental resources. As one study found, "it has been the experience of gay students (or perhaps students in general) that the guidance counselor is associated with delinquent and problem students. This image of the guidance counselor may contribute to the problematization of gay identity in school settings, that being gay is something that has to be 'dealt with' with and by these counselors."

Interviews with LGBT youth in the Philippines underscore the urgent need for resources and support. Jerome B., a 19-year-old gay man from Cebu City, recalled that in secondary school, "I was questioning for a long time-is there something wrong with me? Am I mentally ill? I planned to talk to a psychiatrist because I thought I had a mental illness.... We had a guidance counselor. But I wouldn't go to them, because I was too ashamed." For some students, bullying and a lack of resources led to depression and thoughts of suicide. Benjie A., a 20-year-old gay student from Manila, recounted struggling to make sense of his identity until "I thought about getting a gun from a policeman and shooting myself."

Other LGBT students described going to counselors and facing outright hostility or condemnation. Ace F., a 24-year-old gay man who had attended high school in Manila, said that his school counselor used decades-old psychological materials:

What they taught us was DSM-3 or DSM-2-where being gay is still classified as a mental disorder. That's what they taught us. I was pretty well informed because I was a debater, so I would question them about it: it's already outdated, it's not the standard, it's not considered a mental disease. But they would institutionally still say that it was a disease, a mental disorder, it's bad.

Student Organizations

Student Organizations in Universities

LGBT organizations are increasingly prevalent at the university level, but many groups encounter obstacles from administrators in post-secondary settings as well. In interviews with Human Rights Watch, some university students also described difficulties forming or operating LGBT groups. Students from one university in Manila told Human Rights Watch that, after creating an LGBT organization in 2012, they were instructed in 2016 to rename the organization and work on the broad topic of "gender sensitivity," as the university did not want a group overtly focused on LGBT issues. Rosamie T., an 18-year-old bisexual woman, noted the group had been active and "well-known as an LGBT organization, and they wanted us to rebrand because it's known for that." She said that, after losing a large number of members and becoming less active as a result of the reorganization, "It's like we're starting again from zero." Although this report focuses on secondary schools, universities should also recognize the importance of LGBT organizations and take steps to foster and sustain them.

In recent years, the Philippines has enacted important laws and regulations that affirm the rights of LGBT learners in schools. DepEd's Child Protection Policy, the Anti-Bullying Law, and the Reproductive Health Law-as well as anti-discrimination ordinances at the local level-reiterate the government's commitment to ensuring that all youth are safe, healthy, and able to learn in schools.

Right to Education

LGBT students are denied the right to education when bullying, exclusion, and discriminatory policies prevent them from participating in the classroom or attending school. LGBT students' right to education is also curtailed when teachers and curricula do not include information that is relevant to their development or are outwardly discriminatory toward LGBT people.

Violence and Bullying

The terms of the Anti-Bullying Law and Child Protection Policy echo the Philippines' obligations under international law. The ICCPR states that "[e]very child shall have... the right to such measures of protection as are required by his status as a minor, on the part of his family, society and the State," while the CRC requires governments to "protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation." The government of the Philippines signed UNESCO's Call for Action on Homophobic and Transphobic Violence, issued in November 2016, which commits it to monitoring the prevalence of homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools, providing students with information about harmful gender-based stereotypes, training school personnel, and taking steps to make schools safe for LGBT youth.

Children who are especially likely to face violence, including bullying, merit specific attention and protection from the state. As the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the UN body that monitors implementation of the CRC, has noted, "[g]roups of children which are likely to be exposed to violence include, but are not limited to, children ... who are lesbian, gay, transgender or transsexual." The committee has repeatedly described bullying, harassment, and violence against LGBT youth as violations of children's rights, and emphasized that "[a] school which allows bullying or other violent and exclusionary practices to occur is not one which meets the requirements of article 29(1)," the CRC provision specifying the aims of education.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child has identified steps that governments should take to protect children from bullying, harassment, and other forms of violence. These include challenging discriminatory attitudes that allow intolerance and violence to flourish, establishing reporting mechanisms, and providing guidance and training for teachers and administrators to know how to respond when they see or hear about incidents of violence. When taking these steps, the committee has stressed that children themselves should be involved "in the development of prevention strategies in general and in school, in particular in the elimination and prevention of bullying, and other forms of violence in school."

Right to Health

Freedom of Expression

The right to free expression is violated when schools limit displays of same-sex affection or gender expression solely for LGBT youth. Schools need to ensure that LGBT students are able to participate in the school environment on the same terms as other students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Freedom from Discrimination

Even as municipalities and provinces pass anti-discrimination ordinances to protect the rights of LGBT people, the Philippines has not passed comprehensive legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

...freedom from discrimination is a fundamental obligation of States under international law, and requires States to prohibit and prevent discrimination in private and public spheres, and to diminish conditions and attitudes that cause or perpetuate such discrimination. To this end, States should enact comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that includes sexual orientation and gender identity among protected grounds."

The Committee on the Rights of the Child has explained that discrimination in the school setting, "whether it is overt or hidden, offends the human dignity of the child and is capable of undermining or even destroying the capacity of the child to benefit from educational opportunities." Because of the dangers that discrimination poses to health and development, children at risk of discrimination are "entitled to special attention and protection from all segments of society." The committee has specifically expressed concern about discrimination against children on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity in its review of state policies.

To the President of the Philippines

Speak out, as you have done in the past, against bullying in schools, reiterating that bullying of LGBT youth is harmful and unacceptable.

Speak out in support of an anti-discrimination bill that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, including in education, employment, health care, and public accommodations.

To the Congress of the Philippines

Enact an anti-discrimination bill that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, including in education, employment, health care, and public accommodations.

Authorize funding for the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law and any necessary support for comprehensive sexuality education in schools.

To the Department of Education

Undertake a comprehensive review of school compliance with the provisions of the Child Protection Policy and the Anti-Bullying Law.

Collect and publish data on the number of schools nationally that address sexual orientation and gender identity in their Child Protection Policy and Anti-Bullying Law. Recommend that schools that do not address sexual orientation and gender identity revise their policies to do so.

Create a system to gather and publish data about bullying on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Revise forms to more clearly differentiate and record incidents of gender-based bullying on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and include these categories on all forms related to bullying, abuse, or violence against children.

Immediately review all curricula, including textbooks and teaching materials, to ensure that LGBT issues are incorporated. Remove content that is inaccurate or derogatory toward LGBT people and include content that is relevant to LGBT youth and promotes respect for gender diversity.

Revise the standard sexuality education curriculum to ensure it aligns with UNESCO's guidelines for comprehensive sexuality education, is medically and scientifically accurate, is inclusive of LGBT youth, and covers same-sex activity on equal footing with other sexual activity.

Issue an order instructing schools to respect students' gender identity with regard to dress codes, access to facilities, and participation in curricular and extracurricular activities.

Conduct trainings, in collaboration with LGBT rights groups where possible, to familiarize DepEd personnel at the division and district levels with LGBT terminology and issues.

To Local Officials

Enact local ordinances to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, including in education, employment, health care, and public accommodations.

Promulgate implementing rules and regulations to ensure that existing anti-discrimination ordinances are applied and enforced.

To School Administrators

Adopt anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policies that are inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity, inform students how they should report incidents of bullying, and specify consequences for bullying.

Conduct trainings, in collaboration with LGBT civil society groups where possible, for child protection committees and school staff to ensure that they are sensitive to the needs and vulnerabilities of LGBT youth. The trainings should inform school staff about proper terminology, the forms of bullying and discrimination that LGBT youth face, the rights that LGBT youth enjoy under domestic and international law, and resources and services available for LGBT youth.

Conduct trainings, in collaboration with children's rights groups where possible, for child protection committees and school staff to ensure they are able to recognize and intervene in bullying and harassment when they witness it occurring or it is brought to their attention.

Promulgate guidelines instructing school staff to respect the gender identity of students with regard to dress codes, access to facilities, and participation in curricular and extracurricular activities.

Commemorate occasions like Human Rights Day and National Women's Month with programming that promotes human rights and respect for gender diversity in schools.

Ensure that the school has resources available for LGBT youth, for example, books and printed material, access to counselors or other supportive personnel, and curricular resources that are inclusive of LGBT youth.

Ryan Thoreson, a researcher in the LGBT Rights Program, wrote this report based on research that he undertook from September 2016 to February 2017. Daniel Lee, associate with the Asia division, conducted additional interviews and wrote a section of the report.

The report was reviewed by Neela Ghoshal, senior researcher in the LGBT Rights Program; Michael Bochenek, senior counsel in the Children's Rights Division; and Carlos Conde, Philippines researcher in the Asia Division. James Ross, legal and policy director, and Joe Saunders, deputy program director, provided legal and program review, respectively. Production assistance was provided by Olivia Hunter, publications associate; Fitzroy Hepkins, administrative manager; and Jose Martinez, senior coordinator.

Human Rights Watch would like to thank the experts and organizations that provided information for the report, including ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, Babaylanes, Inc., Bisdak Pride, Bulsu Bahaghari, ChildFund Philippines, the Children's Legal Rights and Development Center, GALANG, Gayon Albay, Happy Hearts, Lagablab, MCC Marikina, Side B, TransMan Pilipinas, and UP Babaylan. Particular thanks go to the many students who shared their experiences with us.

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This report documents the range of abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in secondary school. It details widespread bullying and harassment, discriminatory policies and practices, and an absence of supportive resources that undermine the right to education under international law and put LGBT youth at risk.

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#StopAllHate #ShareLove Message from Korina Sanchez and Karen Davila (Researched by: Juliana L. Abenales) 

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URL:
https://asiasociety.org/philippines/stopasianhate

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AYYOo9UiRK8&feature=emb_logo

TITLE:
#StopAllHate#ShareLove
Message from Korina Sanchez and Karen Davila

AUTHOR:
Asia Society

DATE PUBLISHED:
June 21, 2021

KEY INFO:
Asia Society leaders thought, what if the song were recast from a perspective of positivity and hope? With the help of Tony award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, Asia Society Hong Kong, secured permission to tweak the lyrics and made a version with HK based artists.

This inspired Asia Society’s Philippine Center to produce a rendition of the song with renowned Filipino artists singing as one to “Stop All Hate. Share Love,” taking cue from the initiative of Asia Society Hong Kong Center, and in line with a global Asia Society campaign to #StopAsianHate.

“We are so grateful to this dream team for so generously giving their time and talent to support the campaign,” said Doris Magsaysay Ho, Chairperson of Asia Society Philippines.

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#StopAllHate #ShareLove Message from Korina Sanchez and Karen Davila

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Study: 76 percent of Filipinas, moms still experience workplace discrimination (Researched by: Juliana L. Abenales) 

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URL:
https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/health-and-family/2017/05/12/1699279/study-76-percent-filipinas-moms-still-experience-workplace-discrimination

TITLE:
Study: 76 percent of Filipinas, moms still experience workplace discrimination

AUTHOR:
Philstar Global

DATE PUBLISHED:
May 12, 2017

KEY INFO:
According to the study, which surveyed over 900 people locally, 39 percent of women believe they were passed over for promotions because of their gender, while 18 percent say they experience things like being “talked down to” by their boss, or being called names such as “bossy” (16 percent).

Additionally, 17 percent of women have been questioned about their desire to start a family during the interview process, indicating that this is still a factor in many employers’ hiring decisions.

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MANILA, Philippines - Workplace discrimination is still rife in the Philippines, with an alarming 76 percent of female respondents admitting they deal with inequality and prejudice on a daily basis, recent research findings show.

According to the study of job hiring portal Monster.com, although 84 percent of Filipino women believe both men and women have the same opportunities to advance in their careers, 69 percent are planning to look for a new job within the next 12 months.

The main reasons for this are financial concerns (40 percent) and needing more flexible working arrangements (17 percent). But discriminatory behavior in the office also plays a part in Filipino women's
happiness at work.

According to the study, which surveyed over 900 people locally, 39 percent of women believe they were passed over for promotions because of their gender, while 18 percent say they experience things like being "talked down to" by their boss, or being called names such as "bossy" (16 percent).

Additionally, 17 percent of women have been questioned about their desire to start a family during the interview process, indicating that this is still a factor in many employers' hiring decisions.

Nonetheless, it is not all doom and gloom. Happily, Filipino women reported some of the best flexible working arrangements in all of Southeast Asia - a whopping 68 percent are able to use flexible hours, while 43% also have the option to work from home.

This is positive news for mothers, who reported they often feel "held back" in their careers because they made a choice to start a family (29 percent).

"Lack of sufficient support from the workplace sometimes makes it a challenge for women to juggle both work and family commitments. Many still struggle with the physical and financial demands of raising a child, and would prefer support from their employer that can integrate both their needs for childcare and financial compensation," said Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com Asia Pacific and
Middle East.

"Even for highly qualified women, it can be a challenge to get back into senior roles after a long absence. Apart from employers working towards more flexible and family-friendly policies, we also need women in powerful positions to push for change so employers can incentivize and alter workplace practices that may encourage women to return after childbirth. Over time, this career interruption can have a lasting
effect, including fewer opportunities for advancement and a widening gender wage gap."

In a bid to show support and encourage more mothers to re-join the workforce, Monster Philippines recently launched the "#SheMakesItWork"campaign to raise greater awareness on issues women across Southeast Asia face at work.

The official video features four women at various phases of motherhood, who share their struggles and provide advice for all women facing a similar situation.

WATCH: Moms speak out against workplace discrimination
YouTube/Monster.com

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Study: 76 percent of Filipinas, moms still experience workplace discrimination

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MANILA, Philippines - Workplace discrimination is still rife in the Philippines, with an alarming 76 percent of female respondents admitting they deal with inequality and prejudice on a daily basis, recent research findings show.

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Secretary Locsin Exhorts the UN: Use Durban Declaration Against Racial Discrimination (Researched By: Lawrence Judd A. Lumain)

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URL:
https://dfa.gov.ph/dfa-news/news-from-our-foreign-service-postsupdate/29507-secretary-locsin-exhorts-the-un-use-durban-declaration-against-racial-discrimination

TITLE:
Secretary Locsin Exhorts the UN: Use Durban Declaration Against Racial Discrimination

AUTHOR: Department of Foreign Affairs

DATE PUBLISHED: September 27, 2021

KEY INFO:
In this article, Secretary Locsin talks about encouraging the UN to use the DDPA as "a concrete and actionable roadmap against racial discrimination and other related intolerance". He then goes on to state several ways that they can use the DPPA to fight against all kinds of racism. He then calls upon the member states to eradicate all forms of intolerance faced by Asians since negative stereotypes have been enforced ever since the CoVid-19 Pandemic started. The UN then responds by stating the original goal of the DPPA and admitting that they have not done enough to tackle the issues mentioned, they then agreed to One-Day High-Level meeting to discuss this, and the DPPA was eventually adopted during the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

This topic is related to our research topic since Senator Locsin is advocating to use the DDPA against racial discrimination and other related intolerances towards Asians, which includes Cultural Discrimination, and this aligns with our goals and sentiments.

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Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L Locsin, Jr. during the High-Level Meeting to Commemorate the the 20th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (Photo from NYPM)

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 27 September 2021 - Foreign Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. encouraged the use of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) as a concrete and actionable roadmap against racial discrimination and other related intolerance in his statement at the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA).

Secretary Locsin said that the issues the Declaration sought to address, particularly racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, still exist today and have been aggravated by the pandemic. He added that the DPPA condemned these acts toward migrants, along with the degrading stereotypes applied to them. "The Declaration's call upon Member States to eradicate all forms of intolerance faced by Asians and people of Asian descent is still relevant 20 years hence," the Secretary added.

Secretary Locsin highlighted that "through awareness raising and education, justice and accountability, policy interventions, and other tools outlined in the Declaration, we are all called to treat our fellow human beings with the respect and dignity we feel is owed to ourselves as such. This meeting's Political Declaration gives renewed impetus to do just that, and hold on to our claim of humanity."

In his opening remarks, UN Secretary General António Guterres said that the DDPA was meant to break the vicious cycle, in which discrimination leads to deprivation, and poverty deepens discrimination. He called on Member States to take concrete actions, including through policy measures, legislation and more granular data collection, in support of all the efforts at the national and global level.

Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly noted thatthe DDPA was adopted to address racial discrimination and intolerance. "We as a global community have not done enough to tackle the pervasiveness of racism, racial intolerance, and xenophobia. Tackling racism in all its forms is a moral responsibility for justice," Mr. Shahid said.

The UN General Assembly decided in its resolution 75/237 to hold a one-day high-level meeting to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the DDPA on the theme "Reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent". The DDPA was adopted during the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 08 September 2001. The Declaration embodies the commitments of the international community to address the legacy of the past as well as contemporary forms and manifestations of racism and racial discrimination, including the acknowledgement that slavery and slave trade are a crime against humanity. The Programme of Action constitutes a comprehensive road-map recommending how Member States and other stakeholders should implement these commitments. END.

For more information, visit https://www.un.int/philippines/ and https://web.facebook.com/PHMissionNY

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Secretary Locsin Exhorts the UN: Use Durban Declaration Against Racial Discrimination

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Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L Locsin, Jr. during the High-Level Meeting to Commemorate the the 20th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (Photo from NYPM) UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 27 September 2021 - Foreign Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr.

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viewcontent (Researched By: Raniel Carl Flores)

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14) NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE

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14) NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE

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URL: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1230&context=srhonorsprog

TITLE:  The Impact of New Social Media on Intercultural Adaptation

AUTHOR:  Rebecca Sawyer

DATE PUBLISHED: May 2011

KEY INFO: The article talks about social media, and how it affects intercultural adaptation in our modern world. It shows   how social media paves the way in accepting people with different cultures, and how people adjust so that ones cultures can be respected, and how it helps in making bigger and stronger communities for us to live in. The article showed different social media platforms that help in tackling cultural discrimination, such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. The article also presented the authors plan of action in surveying the students of the University of Rhode Island, about the impact of social media on intercultural adaptation. The article and also presented the results of the survey, where the results do imply different impacts of social media on intercultural adaptation.

This article relates with our topic in context with Davao and Mindanao, because social media does have an impact in intercultural adaptation, and intercultural adaptation does exist in Mindanao. Even us Mindanaoans adjust our communicative behavior when speaking with someone from another culture.

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Allies and Advocates (Researched By: Rhiena Siarez)

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URL:

https://www.audible.com/pd/Allies-and-Advocates-Audiobook/1663711062

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xNzc5NDc0LnJzcw/episode/QnV6enNwcm91dC05Mzc1NzM4

TITLE:
Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture

AUTHOR: Amber Cabral

DATE PUBLISHED: January 26, 2021

KEY INFO:
This podcast, "Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture," conveys an indicative and practical message about inclusion and diversity in everyday life. Amber Cabral, a celebrated inclusion strategist, speaker, and writer, guides listeners on how to prevent discriminatory/unjust behaviors and establish support to build meaningful connections in this diverse society. Furthermore, this awakens our perspectives to see through each individuality that changes one perception of life.

In addition, this podcast has a significant contribution to advocating against cultural discrimination by delving into the root cause of inequality and promoting a strategy that addresses such a situation that persists until this day. Also, this aligns with our SDG and subject matter to raise individual awareness and advocate equality and peace via media approaches, such as what she has done, publishing her creations digitally.

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Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Learn to create an inclusive environment with this actionable and insightful resource. Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture delivers a powerful and useful message about inclusion and diversity in everyday life. Author Amber C..…

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Protecting indigenous peoples' rights in the Philippines (Researched By : Rhiena Siarez)

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URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxdS8GdfHR4

TITLE:
Protecting indigenous peoples' rights in the Philippines

AUTHOR: International Labour Organization

DATE PUBLISHED:  August 9, 2019

KEY INFO:
Mindanao is home to many indigenous tribes. This documentary explores the unjust experiences of our fellow Pilipino tribe men that awaken the significance of the rights of each individual where discrimination still exists in terms of their culture, beliefs, and status. Furthermore, this highlights the advocacy of the ILO to protect indigenous peoples' rights in the Philippines and support the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act or IPRA, and promote the ratification of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No.169) that addresses the issues that IP's currently facing within our society.

The documentary "Protecting indigenous peoples' rights in the Philippines" aligns with our aim to advocate against discrimination within our community, fight for individual rights, and address/reduce inequality to have a harmonious life. Similar to this approach, we'll use any possible means to advocate the knowledge of the rights of each individual, awaken their hearts, and broaden their perspective not only to understand but to accept individuality through media.

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Protecting indigenous peoples' rights in the Philippines

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We Are Not All That Different: Race and Culture Identity | Seconde Nimenya | TEDxSnoIsleLibraries (Researched By: Lawrence Judd A. Lumain)

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URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QuAok_Xiyg

TITLE:
We Are Not All That Different: Race and Culture Identity | Seconde Nimenya | TEDxSnoIsleLibraries

AUTHOR: Seconde Nimenya, Tedx Talks

DATE PUBLISHED: December 24, 2016

KEY INFO:
In this Ted Talk, Seconde
Nimenya recalls her experiences with hiding her past, facing adversities, and eventually using the similarities of people around the world to bridge the things that separate us. She talks about the lessons that she has learned by going through all these experiences, and she then talks about how the fear of differences is affecting the youth. She then discusses ways that we can use our similarities to bridge the gaps that were created by our differences.

This is relevant to our topic since Seconde Nimenya is advocating for bridging the gaps between races and cultures, and this coincides with the overall message and topic that we have. Her Ted Talk could inspire those who are facing similar adversities to spread love and make bridges instead of hating and taking revenge.

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We Are Not All That Different: Race and Culture Identity | Seconde Nimenya | TEDxSnoIsleLibraries

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Review- Wars of Extinction: Discrimination and the Lumad Struggle in Mindanao - Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia (Researched by: Juliana L. Abenales) 

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URL:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36576462-wars-of-extinction

https://kyotoreview.org/book-review/wars-of-extinction-discrimination-and-the-lumad-struggle-in-mindanao/

TITLE:
Wars of Extinction: Discrimination and the Lumad Struggle in Mindanao

AUTHOR:
Arnold P. Alamon

DATE PUBLISHED: 2017

KEY INFO:
Alamon’s Wars of Extinction: Discrimination and the Lumad Struggle in Mindanao narrates the continuing struggle of the Lumad, the indigenous peoples of Mindanao, particularly concerning their ancestral domain, fending off development aggression and their fight towards self-determination. Alamon, who teaches sociology at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, brings us to the front line of the plights of the indigenous communities.

While the book focuses on the experiences of the Lumad, it essentially reflects the struggle of all the indigenous peoples in the Philippines.

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Title: Wars of Extinction: Discrimination and the Lumad Struggle in Mindanao
Author: Arnold P. Alamon
Publisher: Illigan City: RMP-NMR, Inc., 2017

In an age where postmodern cultural pluralism is the dominant research program in the academe, where postcolonial theory celebrates the subaltern voices against western narratives in development discourse, Alamon's book is a timely intervention that sociologically peeps through the problems of the Lumad and their right to self-determination without falling into cultural idealism, romanticization of the Lumad in their pristine condition, and reducing discrimination to mere collateral damage of western development.

By showing how the Lumad were subjected to "accumulation by dispossession" (a term borrowed from the Marxist geographer David Harvey) Alamon argues convincingly that rather than representing the Lumad as "repositories of non-existent and idealized pre-modern cultural truth," the Lumad are the "showcase of the economic and political violence of global capital made possible through facilitation of their local agents" (p. 179). By demystifying the essentializing romantic truth about the Lumad, which depicts them as "innocent and naïve," he ripostes his own materialist alternative by arguing that the term "Lumad", appropriated by the indigenous non-Muslim tribes of Mindanao in 1986, refers to the collective struggle of the people to "keep their way of life which is inextricably linked to their ownership and control over their land and resources" (p. 194). As a committed intellectual, he challenges the postmodern appropriation of the Lumad as a cultural icon whose other-ness deconstructs Eurocentrism by arguing that it is, "first and foremost, a class position" (p. 207).

By ensconcing his analysis within the historical narrative of Spanish colonialism and American imperialism, Alamon is able to provide an excellent analysis that situates the Lumad problem within the framework of "structural discrimination" that is rooted in the long historical oppression and exploitation of colonialism and the feudal linkages of the ruling class and elites of the nation to the larger global businesses and imperialist interests.

He defends the "indigenous notions of development" (p. 169) that recognizes collective ownership of the land and resources without grounding this purely to cultural explanation. This pre-capitalist mode of production enabled the Banwaon (a subtribe of the Higanaon), for instance, to resist development aggression of mining companies, logging concessionaires, and big plantation businesses. This mode of cultural existence enables their leaders to say, "The Banwaon have achieved an understanding that we as a people can survive without you" (p. 172).

In so doing, he depicts the Lumad community, as an "imagined community," not as seamless organic whole but a fractured community arising from the cultural invasion of imperialists and state-sponsored terrorism perpetrated against them (p. 204).

Exposed to the continuing local communist struggle, the Lumad's struggle today goes beyond mere postmodern slogan of the "right to narrate". The "other-ness" of the Lumad has nothing to do with their being different as global capitalism penetrates the remaining non-commodified territories around the globe. Alamon rightly demonstrates, "Their otherness originates from the fact that they are global capitalism's most marginalized contemporary victims" (p. 216). The Lumad are now struggling for the right to self-determination and are fighting back to gain their ancestral domains plundered by local compradors and imperialist businesses (p. 205). Hence the attacks against the Lumad communities perpetrated by the state repressive apparatuses had escalated forcing them to evacuate and stage the historic Manilakbayan in 2015.

To highlight this issue of violence against the Lumad, Alamon pleads for continuing and renewing dialogue with the Lumad and other national minorities. The main purpose is not so much to celebrate cultural differences that feeds the fantasy of bourgeois nationalism, but to find commonalities as ground for human emancipation against the tyranny of the market and imperialism seeking to commodify the Lumad culture and loot their resources.

Warning! This book is written by a sociologist who minces no words about objectivity and partisan scholarship. It is written specifically as a public sociology, written in popular style, to contribute in the emancipation of the Lumad. It is neither an apology for the betrayal of Lumad development by the state, nor an attempt to whitewash the violence of colonialism and imperialist aggression against the people of Mindanao.

Alamon may be accused of one-sided focus on the political economy of Lumad problem. But his critics, I am very sure, will also have to endure the same criticism -one sided emphasis on culture and reduction of Lumad problem to the plea for respect and liberal tolerance. He will have nothing to do with such purely scholastic exercise. Rather he invites us to integrate and immerse in Lumad communities so we can learn the "most fearsome model of resistance against imperialism's past and continuing onslaught" (p. 223).

I highly recommend this book for academics and non-academics who are tired of perusing through the convoluted writings -peppered with Derridean and post-structuralist jargons- of contemporary writers about the subaltern and other-ness. Such writings leave so much to be desired in understanding the current plight of the Lumad. Those who do not want to struggle with the Lumad, don't read this book. You might be converted. To the bold readers, "Dare to struggle, dare to win!"

Reviewed by Gerry Lanuza
Department of Sociology, University of the Philippines-Diliman

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Review- Wars of Extinction: Discrimination and the Lumad Struggle in Mindanao - Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia

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Title: Wars of Extinction: Discrimination and the Lumad Struggle in Mindanao Author: Arnold P.

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pidsdps1742 (Researched By: Raniel Carl Flores)

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URL: https://pidswebs.pids.gov.ph/CDN/PUBLICATIONS/pidsdps1742.pdf

TITLE:  Inequality of Opportunities Among Ethnic Groups in the Philippines

AUTHORS:  Celia M. Reyes, Christian D. Mina and Ronina D. Asis

DATE PUBLISHED:  December 2017

KEY INFO: This research paper focuses around the inequalities amongst and within the ethnic groups of the Philippines. The research paper examines the opportunities of ethnic groups in accessing basic services such as education, electricity, safe water, and sanitation. The paper also studied and went through the patterns of inequality in Mindanao. The study showed that there is a significant imbalance among and within ethnic groups concerning  opportunities in accessing basic services. Muslim IP's are shown to be the worst-off ethnic groups, while the  nonindigenous/non-Muslim groups are shown to be the more well-off groups in the Philippines. This study shows that cultural discrimination might be present among the people of the Philippines.

This research paper is one of the many research papers that fights against inequalities in the Philippines, that came from a social media platform, which is the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, with their websites and such.