Following nationwide reports of acts of bullying and cruelty against medical frontliners, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, Persons Under Investigation (PUIs), and Persons Under Monitoring (PUMs), the City Government of Valenzuela reiterates its stand against all forms of discrimination with Ordinance No. 600, Series of 2019.

Also known as "An Ordinance Strengthening the Anti-Discrimination and Equal Protection System of Laws in the City of Valenzuela", the ordinance aims to provide safeguards against all types of discrimination and ensure equal protection for everybody regardless of religion, race or ethnicity, health, physical situation, gender, age, economic or social status.

Discrimination, in its broadest sense, is the unfair or prejudicial treatment, exclusion, or restriction made on the basis of different categories of people or things, such as disability, gender, ethnicity, religion, socio-political, economic, or civil status.

With each story heralding the heroism of the doctors, nurses, medical technologists, laboratory technicians, and other medical frontliners, are sad stories of the same frontliners being denied access to public services, or being prohibited to enter their own villages, houses or condominium units. Some of them even sustain physical injuries.

COVID-19 patients, PUIs, and PUMs suffer the same fate as the frontliners as they, too, are victims of face-to-face bashing, bullying, and hate speeches.

Repeated calls   for compassion, humanity, and understanding have been made especially for the frontliners who are risking their lives to tend to those who need urgent medical attention due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of Valenzuela City’s measures to protect them, violators of the Anti-Discrimination Ordinance will be meted out a penalty amounting to PHP 3,000 or will be imprisoned for sixty (60) days or will both be fined and imprisoned at the discretion of the court.  

Authored by District 1 Councilor Ricardo Ricarr C.Enriquez, Ordinance 600, Series of 2019 was passed during the 3^rd Special Session of the 8^th City Council of Valenzuela held last September 27, 2019.