By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
Railway officials are set to review their policies on gender equality following a video clip on the supposed discrimination of a transgender woman in the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) system.
(screengrabbed from Mikki Galang's video/ Facebook)
A video clip recently made rounds on social media as it showed an argument between Mikki Galang and an MRT-3 security guard who refused to allow the former from boarding the coach assigned for women.
In the video, Galang and her friends cried gender discrimination as the guard, whose face was concealed, insisted that they follow the rail system’s policies.
Galang, in a Facebook post, also said that prior to what was captured in the video, two of the MRT-3’s security personnel approached her and questioned her gender.
“Bawal po lalaki dito (Men are not allowed here),” Galang quoted the men saying. When she introduced herself as a woman, they allegedly answered, “Paano? (How so?)”
Transportation Undersecretary for Rails TJ Batan said he was already informed about the incident.
He said MRT officials will convene its gender and discrimination (GAD) committee to discuss the matter. “Para magkaroon tayo ng mas malinaw na polisiya tungkol sa issue (So that we could have a clearer policy on this issue),” he said in an interview at the sidelines of the Senate hearing on the Department of Transportation's proposed 2019 budget.
Batan, meanwhile, maintained that the rail sector follows GAD policies. “In fact ’yung railway sector ang isa sa mga unang unit na makagawa ng GAD monitoring manual (the railway sector is one of the first units to create GAD monitoring manual),” he told media.