VP Sara Champions Legal Protections for LGBTQIA+ Partnerships

On a warm afternoon during Pride Month in Manila, lively rainbow flags danced against the cloudy sky as Vice President Sara Duterte made a surprising move: she voiced her support for legal safeguards for LGBTQIA+ partnerships. Her call for laws to protect our love, homes, and chosen families from vulnerability resonated with many. https://mb.com.ph/2025/06/25/vp-sara-pushes-for-creation-of-pro-lgbtq-commission

In her “Kasarilayaan 2025” address, Duterte endorsed the proposed Civil Union Act. This legislation aims to establish civil unions as legal relationships for same-sex couples, ensuring rights related to property, inheritance, adoption, and social security. These are privileges that heterosexual couples may often take for granted, while queer couples frequently face battles, sometimes silently, in courtrooms that aren’t always in their favor. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2074762/sara-duterte-calls-for-passage-of-2-bills-pushing-for-lgbtqia-rights

For Ana and Joy, partners for over a decade residing in Quezon City, this proposal is far more than abstract policy. It represents a potential shift from insecurity to stability. They’ve built a life together with their cozy condo, their shih tzu named Miso, and a shared business crafting custom cakes. Yet, legally, they remain strangers. In situations like hospitalization, the right to act as family often hinges on the discretion of medical staff. If one of them were to pass away, estranged family members might claim everything.

“Legal shields” would mean recognition of their partnership not just quietly at family gatherings, but legally as well. Duterte’s support for the Civil Union Act signals an openness to extending social protection programs to “non-traditional families,” acknowledging that families like Ana and Joy’s are already part of the fabric of society, though not yet fully protected. https://explained.ph/vp-duterte-urges-creation-of-lgbtqia-policy-commission-backs-key-equality-bills/

Navigating Symbolism and Survival

Understandably, for many in the LGBTQIA+ community, Duterte’s stance elicits a mix of hope and skepticism. After all, her political lineage hasn’t always aligned with progressive causes, and she has cautiously distinguished between supporting partnership protections and endorsing marriage equality. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/950246/sara-duterte-on-pride-month-2025-safeguard-lgbt-rights/story/

Still, for queer Filipinos weary of funerals where partners are disregarded, of benefits denied, and of homes lost overnight, even imperfect laws can provide crucial support. As Duterte calls on Congress to pass civil union and anti-discrimination measures, the pressing question evolves from “Should the state recognize us?” to “When will it finally acknowledge the lives we’re already courageously living?” https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/06/24/news/national/protect-lgbt-rights-vp-urges-filipinos/2138169