in Japan

muscles—are widely distributed to cement the view they look “indistinguishable” from men, said Aki Nomiya, a gender studies scholar at Kanagawa University.

“This way, campaigners can argue that allowing transgender women (into women’s spaces) will make it easier for men to blend in, including those with criminal proclivities,” said Nomiya, who herself is transgender.

The backlash is not simply rhetorical: it was a factor in the eventual watering down of the anti-discrimination legislation, which now says the law is contingent on “the safety of all citizens being ensured”.

Authorities have also insisted access to public bathhouses will remain dictated by “physical characteristics.”

‘Lack of understanding’ marriage or civil unions at a national level.

With funds used as equity—instead of loans—in building infrastructure projects, the national government reduces its heavy reliance on local borrowings and foreign loans.

This alternative source of funding gives the national government a larger budgetary allowance to fund other priority expenditures, such as social housing, health care, education and poverty-alleviation programs. The thrust on infrastructure, meanwhile, will lead to a lot of high quality jobs and lure more foreign investors as the economy expands.

We all know that infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, airports and seaports, create economic opportunities, especially in the countryside.

The MIF, if run well, will contribute to greater economic expansion and provide a solution to the country’s rising debt burden. Sovereign wealth funds, thus, should be viewed as a catalyst for growth and economic prosperity.

Transgender people can only change their gender on legal documents if they appeal to a family court and meet criteria including gender confirmation surgery and having no reproductive capacity—generally requiring sterilization.

The recent wave of anti-transgender rhetoric is essentially a spillover from similar movements overseas, experts say.

Images depicting transgender women as overly “masculine”—with sturdy physiques and

Still, controversy has continued to swell over everything from “genderless toilets” in Tokyo and a women’s university deciding to admit transgender students. Among the loudest voices pushing back against transgender women’s access to female spaces is the group “Save Women’s Space.”

Co-head Minori Moriya insists her group is not targeting transgender women, but argues giving them access to female spaces will “open the floodgates” to male sexual offenders.

We must also fight for our national resources.

We are not benefiting from our resources as they are either for export or extracted directly by foreign companies.

The renewed push for foreign investments have caused the encroachment of our lands, including ancestral lands, and their diverse ecosystems.

On social services, there are 4.5 million Filipinos who are homeless and 3.8 million who live in informal settlements. The backlog in housing has ballooned to 6.6 million which must be addressed.

Instead, they deducted P2.7 billion in the budget for housing. With this, the budget for ayuda has gotten smaller. From P233 billion in 2020, it is down to P510 million in 2023. According to the health sector, malnutrition and hunger are persistent.

Fifty percent of our population continue to suffer from the lack of access to a primary care facility within 30 minutes. We also lack doctors and nurses causing our healthcare workers to be overworked and underpaid.

Lastly, the education sector is suffering through the consequences of two years of remote learning.

The education budget is only 3.5 percent of the GDP which is far from the recommended 6 percent by the UN.

While the schools have opened, there is a lack of preparation.

There are not enough teachers, facilities, or learning materials. Like healthcare workers, the teachers continue to be overworked and underpaid.

If BBM is serious about establishing a New Philippines, he must realize that it is more than just branding.

There are many things that need to be done aside from a new logo.

Addressing what we discussed in his second SONA would be a good place to start.

“Women have no way of telling who among those allowed inside have criminal intentions,” the retiree told AFP.

She fears the Supreme Court could soon overturn requirements that transgender people undergo surgery before changing their gender on official documents.

“Those who retain male genitalia” should not be allowed in women’s restrooms, she said, “to protect women.”

“That’s the line we cannot compromise over.”

Transgender people in Japan point out they have long discreetly used restrooms matching their gender identity, without incident.

Online depictions of transgender women aggressively demanding access to women’s spaces is divorced from reality, they add.

Tokieda argues transgender women are being scapegoated for crimes committed by men.

“Sexual violence and camera voyeurism... should be penalised and cracked down on, but somehow transgender people are getting the blame,” she said.

The “vitriol and hate speech on social media are coming from an overwhelming lack of understanding towards transgender people.” AFP