About the Corporate SOGIE Diversity & Inclusiveness (CSDI) Index

The Corporate SOGIE Diversity & Inclusiveness (CSDI) Index is the first study of its kind in the Philippines. This CSDI Index is a tool for organizations to benchmark themselves against international and local standards in Diversity in the workplace. The authors of this report hope that this new information will usher in a time of great innovation, efficiency, development, and business excellence in the region as companies know more information about Diversity, realize themselves, and embrace SOGIE Diversity.

About the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Founded in 2016, the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce is an industry organization of businesses of, by, and for the LGBT in the Philippines. The main bottom line of the organization is good business and national economic development via the efforts of its LGBT members. The core purpose of the LGBT Chamber is to champion the LGBT contribution in Philippine Business.

contact us via lgbtph.secreatariat@gmail.com
www.LGBTph.org

PRESS RELEASE
Manila, Philippines (November 2018)

“ZERO”: Filipino Companies Flunk in the Country’s First-Ever SOGIE Diversity and Inclusiveness Index
Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce launches its #ZEROto100PH campaign to educate companies on SOGIE

November 7, 2018: Manila, Philippines — Filipino companies have failed dismally in the country’s first-ever Philippine Corporate SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression) Diversity and Inclusiveness Index, a study pioneered by the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce, an organization which champions the LGBT contribution in Philippine business.

The study aims to establish a quantitative baseline SOGIE Corporate Diversity and Inclusiveness Index across the top corporations as well as other small and medium enterprises in the Philippines.

Undertaken by research firm Cogencia through the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Philippines, the study surveyed 100 companies which cumulatively employ 267,231 people.

These companies are classified according to these broad categories: Philippine-based (those that operate mainly or are headquartered in the Philippines), Foreign-headquartered, BPO/BPS (Business Process Outsourcing / Services), and Government.

Only 17% of companies interviewed have policies in place against discrimination based on SOGIE. All are from BPO/BPS and Foreign-headquartered organizations.

Meanwhile, companies which do not have LGBT-inclusive policies and benefits also did not express interest in creating said company policies and benefits in the next 5 years.

ZERO – No Filipino corporation that was part of the study had SOGIE-Diversity policies. The #LGBTchamber wishes to change that for 2019 with their #ZEROto100PH program — where the goal is to institute and help create SOGIE Diversity policies in at least 100 Filipino corporations by the end of 2019.

“The results of this study are a wake-up call to all of us, not just businesses or professionals, but also our senators who are impeding the passage of the Senate Bill No. 1271, or the Anti-Discrimination Bill,” says Brian Tenorio, Chair of the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

“Our fellow LGBT professionals must be guaranteed their protection in the workplace, so they can positively contribute to their respective companies, without fear of prejudice or discrimination.”   

Adds H.E. Marion Derckx, Ambassador of the Netherlands Embassy in the Philippines:

“Keeping the benefits of diversity requires awareness and action from all sides – from employers, from employees and also from the government. Diversity is about inclusion.

We welcome this research as a guiding instrument for all concerned, especially for companies, to see what aspects of businesses can be improved and how businesses can be more inclusive.”

To push for stronger action which will challenge Philippine businesses and fellow LGBT organizations to ensure LGBT diversity and inclusion in the workplace, the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce is launching its campaign, #ZEROto100PH.

The campaign aims to get 100 Philippine companies in 2019 to pledge their commitment towards LGBT diversity and inclusion, starting with SOGIE training in their workplace and revising their company policies to protect LGBT professionals.