In a country where LGBTQ rights remain politically contentious and progress is often stalled by deep-rooted conservatism, a small clinic in Quezon City has become a quiet symbol of change.
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Tucked inside a car park north of Manila, Klinika Eastwood is now offering free gender-affirming health consultations – a direct result of a landmark city ordinance that positions Quezon City as the first local government in the Philippines to guarantee inclusive medical services for transgender people.
For Queen Sweetie Acidre, a 38-year-old trans woman, it marks a watershed moment.
She told This Week in Asia that she had come to the clinic for a routine screening for sexually transmitted infections, but for the first time, she would also receive care tailored to her gender identity – a service still unavailable in most parts of the country.
“Transgender individuals are very vulnerable, but people don’t know that because we pretend to be strong and tough,” she said. “This initiative is a good start because, through this, we can now seek advice and help with our health concerns.”
Acidre began taking feminising hormone pills in her mid-thirties, but without medical guidance. The side effects – mood swings, sleepiness, irritability – strained her relationship with her partner. Still, she pressed on.