The Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) Bill is a proposed law protecting the rights of the members of the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination, marginalization and violence which includes denying access to public services, unequal treatment, harassment, bullying and more.
Among the matters that are heard on a national scale is the comfort room issue wherein public opinion is divided into letting LGBTQ+ members to use comfort rooms based on their gender preferences or not letting them to use the comfort rooms of their preferences but instead let them use the comfort rooms that are intended for their sexes or anatomy.
Amidst the issue a solution is budding, a solution that does not discriminate but promote equality instead, a solution that Yamang Bukid long had.
Doing Business With A Heart
“Doing Business with a Heart,” this is Yamang Bukid’s mission, to serve the people with the burning passion inside their souls. Promoting gender equality, the farm chooses to serve all of the costumers, welcoming everyone with a big heart, accepting and serving all of the costumers of any gender preference or identity.
“Ang mission kasi ni Yamang Bukid ay ‘Doing Business with a Heart’, si Yamang Bukid ay hindi mamimili kung anong klaseng kasarian mayroon ang isang tao dahil ang mahalaga kay Yamang Bukid ay ang makatulong sa mga taong may puso din na kaya rumispeto at tumulong sa kapwa nilang tayo,” Design and Planning Officer of Yamang Bukid Farm, the mind behind all of the Yamang Bukid Farm architectural design nationwide, Benjie Monasque, told Palawan Daily News in an exclusive phone interview.
After a long ride from the city proper of Puerto Princesa, walking in the green and countryside-themed farm of Yamang Bukid, visitors are able to witness the wonders of the picturesque farm and its health-friendly products. One of the highlights of the farm is a sure head-turner, the Yamang Bukid’s comfort rooms.
Yamang Bukid Farm portrays a great example of gender-friendly comfort rooms which give the farm visitors a chance to freely express their identity and sexuality through the its comfort rooms which are not marked ‘male’ and ‘female’ or ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ but instead, ‘girl’, ‘boy’, ‘bakla’, and ‘tomboy’.
“Ang Yamang Bukid toilet na ito ay matatawag na gender-friendly toilet dahil binibigyan tayo nito ng kalayaang pumili kung ano ang katayuan natin sabuhay na gusto nating matanggap ng lipunan,” Monasque explained.
The comfort rooms, which are existing long before the national comfort room issue sprouted, is Yamang Bukid Farm’s way of expressing its support to the LGBTQ+ Community by providing them the comfort they needed in a way that supports the voices of the members of the community pleading for acceptance, respect and equal treatment as well as respecting the views of males and females.
“Kaya gumawa ng ‘girl’, ‘boy’, ‘bakla’, ‘tomboy’ na toilet ay para mawala ang discrimination about LGBT at upang maramdaman ang pagkapantaypantay na respeto at pagtanggapsa baawt anumang kasarian mayroon sila,” Monasque further explained.