CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga –The city government of San Fernando in Pampanga stepped up its advocacy on social protection and inclusivity by establishing the “Rainbow House for the Golden Gays”.
Mayor Vilma Caluag said the facility aims to provide shelter, care, and support for elderly members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, plus (LGBTQIA+) community.
“I want them [LGBTQIA+] to not worry about their old age if they are not taken care of. We, your elected officials, will build a Rainbow House for the Golden Gays,” she said.
The proposed site of the project—a former Family Learning Resource Center in Northville, Calulut—will be redeveloped in two phases.
The first phase will convert the building into an activity hub equipped with a conference room and reception area to host labor seminars, skills training, and livelihood programs specifically tailored for the LGBTQIA+ sector and senior citizens.
The second phase will fully transform the facility into a residential home that will offer compassionate care, safe housing, and a supportive environment for neglected and homeless LGBTQIA+ elders.
The initiative is backed by Executive Order No. CMO2025-38, which created a Technical Working Group (TWG) to oversee the project.
The order underscores the legal and moral foundations of the endeavor, citing the 1987 Philippine Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law, the 2008 United Nations Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, and the 2016 UN Human Rights Council resolution on “Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity”.
Caluag said the move also highlights the pressing realities faced by LGBTQIA+ seniors in the Philippines.
According to the 2023 fact sheet by Engender Rights, Inc., Outright International, and Sage-Advocacies Services, 85 percent of LGBTQ individuals experience financial insecurity, 57 percent face deteriorating health, 35 percent have no one to take care of them, 34 percent suffer from loneliness and isolation, 26 percent lack access to affordable housing, and 15 percent endure abuse and discrimination.
The TWG, composed of representatives from the City Engineer’s Office, City Public Employment Service Office, Gender and Development Office, and the City Social Welfare and Development Office, has pledged to engage LGBTQIA+ organizations in the planning process to ensure the facility responds to the community’s actual needs.
Caluag emphasized that the project aligns with the city’s advocacy for the SOGIE [sexual orientation, gender identity, expression] Equality Bill and its vision of inclusive governance.
“They [LGBTQIA family] are those who do not usually marry, who do not have partners in life, and they are getting older. We would be grateful if their relatives would take care of them until the end. However, sometimes even though their relatives want to take care of them, they too are also struggling in life. You know, you can see, I love LGBT people,” Caluag stressed.
Once completed, the Rainbow House for the Golden Gays is expected to become a symbol of San Fernando’s commitment to human rights, social justice, and a society where no one, regardless of age, gender, or identity, is left behind.
