It's important to everyone to be valued for who they are in the workplace. For an LGBT employee, it can be a deciding factor in whether they stay with a company.
I joined DTCC five years ago at the age of 20. Being part of a company where I am free to be who I am has definitely helped me grow a career I enjoy and love.
The culture at DTCC is very accepting to the LGBT community. In a country where same-sex relationships are still not fully accepted, we have company policies that advocate anti-discrimination to LGBT employees. These policies create an accepting and welcoming work environment, enabling employees like me to enjoy our jobs, build stronger relationships among colleagues and have stronger commitment to the work we do in the company. This type of support and environment is one of the reasons I appreciate working at a company like DTCC.
This year, I became Co-Lead of the Manila LGBTA Business Professional Network (BPN). The BPN helps create an environment for LGBT staff members which enables them to develop their full potential as employees and individuals. But oftentimes and more importantly, it fosters support from all co-workers, across all genders. Apart from my BPN activities, I am also involved in DTCC’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in our location.
Being free to be who I am also means having the room to grow and explore other passions. Because of my BPN and CSR involvements, I am able to enjoy outreach work through these associations. I recently joined a CSR program called "Brigada Eskwela," where we helped repair and clean public schools. Through our LGBTA BPN, DTCC is part of the Philippine Financial Industry Pride, a collaborative, voluntary, not-for-profit community, which aims to foster an industry that provides safe and inclusive workplaces for the LGBT+ community. Through the Financial Industry Pride group, I volunteered with the Duyan Program sponsored by Project Red Ribbon, which works with children with HIV and AIDs.
Before DTCC, I had not fully come out and was not being true to myself. But having such a supportive and inclusive work environment that accepts you for who you are, has helped me to become more open and discover the real me. DTCC and my office colleagues have helped me be proud of who I am and express myself the way I want by not hiding my own identity. I am my most authentic self while working at DTCC.
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