Bataan 1st district Rep. Geraldine Roman, the first transgender person to be elected to the Philippine House of Representatives, has been designated as chairperson of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality.
Roman was among the solons given chairmanships in the ongoing 19th Congress during the Monday, Aug. 1 plenary session, which stretched until 8:38 p.m.
The lady lawmaker served as one of the vice chairpersons of the women and gender equality panel during the previous 18th Congres, during which she aggressively pushed for the passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) Bill. However, it didn't materialize.
But with Roman now at the helm of the panel, she expected to once again seriously pursue the passage of the much-sought--albeit also controversial--anti-discrimination measure.
According to the House website, the Committee on Women and Gender Equality covers matters directly and principally relating to the rights and welfare of women and female children and youth, inclusive of their education, employment and working conditions, and their role in nation building.
The panel had 55 members during the 18th Congress.
Roman, 55, was first elected as a House member in 2016.