In celebration of its 10th founding anniversary, the Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) unveils its landmark Playbook on workplace inclusivity, reaffirming its commitment to the corporate pride community.
Through the Playbook, PFIP is taking the fight for SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression, and Sex Characteristics) equality to the boardrooms of the most influential private employers in the Philippines.
The PFIP Playbook offers an “opportunity for organizations to reflect, find what they are doing right, be acquainted with their capacities and resources, and resolve that they can do more.”
Getting Started: Fostering LGBT+ inclusivity in the workplace
Typically associated with activism in the streets, LGBT+ movements in the Philippines have opened conversations and broken boundaries in the socio-political landscape in the country.
However, much is still needed to be done for the community – especially within the corners of the corporate culture.
In this case, PFIP has shifted the conversation to the boardroom: becoming the “Leading Voice and Champion of LGBT+ Workplace Inclusion.” PFIP, along with its more than 80 members from across multiple industries, is driving initiatives that foster a workplace culture that is safe and welcoming, diverse and inclusive, and ethical and sustainable.
The organization has made significant strides in establishing the workplace as a venue of social transformation. Now, its Playbook is taking the journey to LGBT+ diversity and inclusion in the workplace one step further.
Taking Action: The PFIP Playbook
The PFIP Playbook is a compendium of LGBT+ inclusive policies, programs, and practices for equal-opportunity employers in the country who are looking to drive diversity and inclusion into their organizations.
As PFIP incorporating board trustee and Chairperson Weena Ekid explained, “The PFIP
Playbook is a convenient and comprehensive resource for companies to reference as they continue to promote gender equality in their places of work.”
Backed with extensive research by the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, the PFIP Playbook is a critical resource for industry leaders. In addition, case studies in the Playbook illustrate the experiences of PFIP member companies in their respective DEI or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion journey.
Meanwhile, Ekid expressed that the Playbook will not be exclusive to PFIP member companies only and shared that the organization is looking forward to introducing the guide to local organizations, government offices, and academe – making them part of DEI conversations.
Scaling Up: Looking beyond PFIP’s 10th year
PFIP has been pioneering industry-leading DEI programs in the Philippines since its conception in 2013. The organization has grown significantly from a five-member breakfast club into a community of dedicated multi-industrial leaders championing diversity, equality, inclusivity, and LGBT+ representation in the Philippine corporate scene.
During the PFIP Playbook Launch, Executive Director Jai Leonard Carinan shared the vision of the organization saying, “PFIP aspires to create safer and more progressive workplaces by enabling and equipping our member companies with best practices on inclusive policies, SOGIE training and education, and the business case of inclusion while empowering LGBT+ talents through sustainable Pride network, professional development, and advocacy programs.”
Meanwhile, H.E. Ambassador Marielle Geraedts from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Philippines celebrated the launch of the PFIP Playbook – considering it a valuable resource for LGBT+ inclusivity advocates and champions alike.
“More and more businesses [realize] that [diversity, equity, and inclusion] are not only buzzwords. These ideas represent hope and progress for many in the LGBTQIA+ community, who are deserving of recognition and respect as they live and work according to their true selves and identities,” H.E. Ambassador Marielle Geraedts expressed.
On the other hand, among the industry and civil society leaders who graced the PFIP Playbook launch is Sen. Risa Hontiveros, a known champion for the SOGIE anti-discrimination bill in the country. Sen. Hontiveros acknowledged the significance of the PFIP Playbook in the push for the SOGIE equality bill: calling it a big win for the community.
“The bigger battles are won through the victories of many smaller communities. No win is ever too small, and a win like today’s Playbook is bigger than many,” Sen. Hontiveros said, claiming that through the PFIP Playbook, educating organizations, institutions, and communities on LGBT+ inclusivity in the workplace has never been easier.
