CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III will be calling for the Provincial Board to pass an anti-discriminatory ordinace and form an anti-discriminatory commission for the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgenders, Queers and others (LGBTQ++) to empower the members of this community.

In his speech for the first Pride March or Pasundayag of the Cebu provincial government on Saturday afternoon, March 9, Davide said that it was high time that Cebu Province would create measures to ensure the well-being of the LGBTQ++ community.

Davide said that the anti-discriminatory ordinances had already been passed in Quezon City, Cebu City, and Davao City.

He said Cebu Province would be taking a leaf out of their legislations to create an ordinance fit for the Cebuanos.

“The LGBTQ community has achieved milestone after milestone. Kita puhon dinhi, we would look into creating an anti-discriminatory commission that would safeguard the rights of not only our LGBTQ community but also of our PWDs (Persons with Disability) as well,” said Davide.

Davide said that he is confident that the LGBTQ++ would be able to achieve this milestone in the province, and he assured that the provincial government would be one with the community to fight for their equal rights.

He reminded the youth LGBTQ++ members to always remember the values that the forerunners of their community had fought for in Congress in the past: Equality, Acceptance, Protection, and Empowerment.

“Never forget these (values) and fight for these rights in your own little ways. Let women be masculine. Let men be feminine. Straight, queer, we are not less worthy of respect for we are, after all, God’s creation,” he added.

Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation Vice President, Marvin Gorgonio, who identifies himself with the LGBTQ++ community, told Cebu Daily News Digital that the youth and the members of the LGBTQ++ community were looking forward to the anti-discriminatory commission as this would ensure their rights.

“We are not asking for special rights. We are asking for equal rights,” said Gorgonio.

Gorgonio, who is the SK President of Poro town, Camotes Island, urged the SKs to also do their part by encouraging their municipalities to create their own anti-discriminatory ordinances.

“We don’t have to wait for the Province to pass an ordinance when we can do it in our own towns,” he said.

At least 350 members of the LGBTQ++ community joined the parade from the Fuente Osmeña Circle to the Capitol grounds.

Gorgonio said he hoped that in the next Pasundayag, more members from the seven districts of the Province of Cebu, would take up the rainbow flag and wave them proudly.

“We should never be ashamed of who we are. We have nothing to hide,” he said./dbs