GOING ABOVE BEYOND
Though CONG. GERALDINE ROMAN made headlines fighting for gender equality, what most people fail to see is that there is more to her than meets the eye
To write about Congresswoman Geraldine Roman’s accomplishments as an LGBT advocate and leading proponent of the SOGIE (sexual orientation and gender identity expression) Equality
Bill would be too easy and expected. So much has been said about her incredible victory when the Lower House unanimously voted to pass the bill in the 17th Congress, marking a historic pro-LGBT move from the House of Representatives. But as Geraldine reiterates, politicians— she included—are multifaceted. Unknown to many, the Representative of the First District of Bataan has championed agrarian reform, education, and healthcare, among other things aside from gender equality.
With agrarian reform, she continues to combat the plunging prices of palay, urging Filipinos to buy locallyproduced rice. For education, she has pushed the creation of a National Digital Library and the installment of free WiFi in public spaces. As for healthcare, she has the Hospital Standardization Act and the institutionalization of an Integrated National Cancer Control Program. She also played a role in the pension increase for Filipino veterans from a staggering 5,000 pesos to 20,000 pesos. She says, “I know it's not enough, but at least it’s a significant increase. I'm glad that I'm able to affect changes also in other aspects of society, not necessarily only LGBT rights. At least during the 17th Congress, we were able to break that trend.”
Yet there are still a lot of challenges in the road ahead. But regardless of the Senate’s reception of the SOGIE Equality Bill recently, she marches forward with a positive outlook. “Seeing things as they are, I have to manage my expectations. But that doesn't mean I won’t put up a fight. So they can expect some very intelligent discussion and discourse based on truth, based on human rights, and based on equality, which is what we're really fighting for. The configuration of the House and the Senate leaders is quite conservative. But the good news is that throughout our country, LGUs are passing their own anti-discrimination ordinances. So it may not happen on a national level, but at least at the local level, it's happening. Ideally, of course, it should be on the national level, but something is better than nothing,” she says.
Geraldine expresses the many challenges she has faced since the time she first stepped into the House of Representatives. But if she has learned anything, she has learned to adapt and be diplomatic. “Which officially makes me a trapo,” she says jokingly. But while many people will misconstrue adaptability and diplomacy with sycophancy and surrender, one cannot assume that everything in this world is either black or white. She explains, “You have to be aware that we politicians operate in an imperfect system. It’s either you dance to the music, or you get ‘cancelled’. You belong to the system. You can only inch your way, and introduce small changes from within.”
Contrary to popular belief, being transgendered didn’t make things easier for her. What happened was not intentional. She tells us, “Fate had it that somebody like me, who just happened to be transgendered would become the first openly transgender person to win a seat in Congress.
Did I capitalize on that? No, I did not. In fact, that became a stumbling block for me. And that's why I was aspiring for this position. But the stumbling block can be a stepping stone. So this is a platform for me to raise awareness to open doors, so that others may follow suit. So I think that's how I do my role now. It's not because of me. It’s the circumstances and how I take advantage of the circumstances. I hate it when they say I capitalize on my being trans—because we are multifaceted, and that doesn't define me as a person.”
Though cognizant of her role as an agent of change, Geraldine states that change cannot come from politicians alone. “People cannot depend solely on us politicians to effect change. Change has to start from civil society, from the people. If only people realize that they actually have the power.” She continues, “And I’ve seen voters in Europe. Politicians are scared of voters because the voters know how to react. They either punish you or they recognize your good performance through their votes.”
A lengthy conversation on the many things in our society that needs change then ensues—the shocking rise of HIV among the youth, the lack of respect for the Constitution, and the vicious cycle of poverty and lack of education brought about by the country’s population problem. Still, Geraldine’s vision remains faithful to the causes of her hometown, where it all started, “Now I'm thinking more about leaving a legacy for the people in my district. I want to build a children's center. I want to build livelihood training centers in all of the six towns in my district. I want to establish a federation of cooperatives for farmers that will help empower them.”
And while her landmark victories may have catapulted her to political stardom, what is truly remarkable about Geraldine is that she goes above and beyond the circumstances—ignoring distractions and focusing instead on pushing her advocacies forward to create positive change. She concludes, “You know what? It doesn't have to be on a big scale. Just be a positive influence on the people around you. I think that's enough. And whatever you're doing, do your best. It doesn't have to be something transformational on the societal level. Leave something positive in this world. That would be purpose in life.”