DADS invoke city’s anti-discrimination law to counter COVID-19 Stigma

April 12, 2020 Community Billboard

The city council has passed a resolution calling for strict implementation of the city’s Anti-Discrimination Ordinance in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis in a bid to curb public stigma among persons who have contracted the coronavirus, persons under investigation (PUIs), persons under monitoring (PUMs), health workers, non-medical frontliners, and employees of establishments providing basic services.

Ordinance Numbered 13, Series of 2017, also known as the Anti-Discrimination Ordinance of the City of Baguio prohibits the discrimination against anyone on the basis of religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, disability and age” and provides penalties for violation ranging from P1,000 to P5,000 or imprisonment of one to 30 days.

The resolution stated that stigmatizing people who have tested positive for COVID-19 including PUIs and PUMs could “drive people to hide the illness to avoid discrimination” which prevents them from seeking immediate health care and makes it all the more difficult for them to adopt healthy behaviors.

The resolution also noted that some people who are on the front line in the fight against the deadly disease have become the target for discrimination. The resolution encourages the community to show solidarity with these individuals instead of discriminating them.

“They need the support and protection of the government,” the resolution stated.

Earlier, the city council commended individuals that, even with the possibility of being discriminated, still publicly revealed that they are positive for COVID-19 as such act would allow faster contact tracing by health authorities.

J.G.H./ABN