The Bicol Empowerment Project for a Sustainable LGBT Community expands the participation of the LGBT community to socio-political processes and activities in the Bicol region. The programme offers opportunities for these informal groups to formalise their organisations by obtaining accreditation from local government units and government agencies, by having their own organisational and financial system, and opportunities to partner with national government agencies like the DOLE, DOH, DSWD, and DTI.

The project will last 1 year, this timeframe will mainly be spent on empowerment training for members of GAYON Albay LGBT Org. Inc.and partner LGBT groups, Hinan-ay Grandiosa (Irosin, Sorsogon), Virac LGBT Group, (Virac, Catanduanes)Claveria LGBT Organization (Claveria, Masbate) Gayon Maylaud (Milaor, Camarines Sur), Oas LGBT Org., (Oas, Albay), Dominican Metamorphosis (Sto. Domingo), Rapu-Rapu LGBT Group (Rapu-Rapu, Albay), Paper Dolls (Donsol, Sorsogon) and Verde Sangre (Legazpi City).

“Our organization is still considered new, and we only had two meetings since we started. I have learned a lot from the previous training, especially the one about financial management and governance. The learnings will surely help our organization for it to become more structured and organized. The other trainings served as refresher for me since I already know some of the topics that were covered. This coming December 1st, I got invited as a resource speaker for the World AIDS Day celebration. “

–  Jojo, Gayon Claveria

Capacity Building 

Conducted Governance and Financial Management Training for CBOs. This training provided leaders of CBOs basic knowledge and orientation on organizations’ accounting and financial system and operations.   

The Peer Education Training on SOGIE and HIV /AIDS and Human Rights was also implemented. It is there they discussed major topics of the training and provided the participants with basic knowledge and orientation on Sexual Orientation, Gender identity and expression (SOGIE), Human Rights, HIV, AIDS, Community Situationer Building and basic Peer Education Principles and Strategies  

Consequent to the Peer Education Training is the conduct of the Training of Trainers on SOGIE, Human Rights and HIV, AIDS. During the practicum, the facilitators and resource persons encouraged participants to show and practice their innovativeness to their methodologies on their topic presentations. The participants were also able to experience actual community outreach for the conduct of HIV AIDS, SOGIE and Human rights to the selected barangays or towns.  This activity provided the participants actual experience on how the activity is being conducted in the community.   

Advocacy  

Part of the advocacy aspect of their project is the conduct of the Bicol Regional LGBT Meeting and Project Presentation. The activity was also becoming a venue for the Bicol Regional LGBT Network to craft the manifesto urging the Bicolano congressperson to help pass the SOGIE EQUALITY BILL. Visits and meetings with LGBT CBOs were also done and it was recorded that of  the  ten  CBOs  being  supported  by  the  VOICE  empowerment  project,  two CBOs had a Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration, five  are accredited /recognized by their Local Government Units (LGUs) , three CBOS are  long -time  organised  LGBT  organisations  but  not yet  accredited  by  SEC  nor  recognized by their  respective  LGUs,  and  two  are newly organized CBOs.  

Social Movement Building 

Organising  the  Bicol  Regional  LGBT  CBO  network  implementing  LGBT  advocacies  and pushing for the adoption of anti –discrimination ordinance in their respective municipalities cities and provinces is one great achievement of the network.   

With the provision of assistance for CBOs to formally register as accredited organisations, almost all members of the LGBT network are working to comply for the SEC registration and LGU accreditations and re-accreditations to obtain and maintain membership to different local special bodies and to the development councils in their respective municipalities and cities.   

Through this, the LGBT organisations increase its access to a seat in the strategic local special bodies and can influence their local officials to include the LGBT advocacies in the LGU agenda and become part of their plan and budget.  SEC registration and LGU accreditation can also be a license in receiving and implementing projects from the government agencies to sustain organizational life.   

LGBT CBOs are now working with the LGUs and have stablished good relationship with their respective LGUS like GAYON CLAVERIA in Masbate, Hinan-ay Grandiosa in Irosin, Sorsogon, Pioduran Gay Pride Association in Pioduran Albay, Gentleman Bicol in Albay, Gayon, Maylaud in Camarines Sur, and of course the GAYON ALBAY LGBT of Albay.  These organisations are members in the different local special bodies and implementing projects and activities in partnership with their local government units and other government agencies.  

Links to outputs 

Gayon, Inc. was also remarkably engaged in linking and learning, not just with the Voice community but beyond. Below is an example of how they maximise opportunities to connect, learn, and expand their reach: 

Linking and Learning during Pride Month! 

They have also started a Community of Practice (CoP) around ageing LGBTI in the Philippines and the need to recognise the community better. This CoP was co-created with the Coalition of Services of the Elderly, a Voice Influencing Grantee, and TLF Share, a local partner of a Voice multi-country grantee. 

They have also upped their game in awareness-raising and have created this wonderful advocacy video on SOGIE SC (in local language): 

Future plans 

Strengthening partnership with other stakeholders both government and non- government is very crucial to Regional LGBT Network and to its member organizations in terms of sustaining organisational life.  For the CBOs, Gayon will mobilise their partners to continuously provide the CBO leaders with assistance and support in terms of organisational development and management, project development and other interventions we are needing.

They hope that the remaining unregistered CBOs can also facilitate their registration and accreditation and become members of the local special bodies.  GAYON as the secretariat of the network will continuously provide technical assistance to the member CBOs.  

“The need for the continuing interventions to LGBT CBOs is very much necessary.  They still need assistance on pushing their activities, implementing projects and strengthening their organizations. With the formation of the Bicol regional LGBT CBO network, we hoped to mobilise our partners and other stakeholders in providing us continuing capacity building trainings and activities especially in the field of advocacy, network, linkage and alliance building, organizational development and management, project development and management and financial management.” – Gayon, Inc.