of women in the health sector, including volunteer community workers mean that many are working as frontliners in hospitals and in communities, with increased risk of infection, and facing issues of stigma and unnderpayment. Increased risks of intimate partner violence for women and isolation and family violence for members of the LGBQI+ community are also forms of the gendered impact of the crisis. The Commissions’ monitoring of the situation of women and girls highlight the gendered impact of the pandemic – pregnant urban poor women report of being unable to continue pre-natal check ups amidst lockdown16, rural women report that they are running out of pills and Barangay Health Centers are currently not dispensing family planning commodities.17 Urban poor women in Navotas report of the burden of looking after sons who were arrested for quarantine violations and of seeking legal assistance on top of focusing on daily survival.18 Members of LGBQI+ community who live in hostile environment have to endure community harassment and bullying. In Cebu, a village poster maliciously accused gays as carriers of the virus.19 CSOs have also highlighted the gendered impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic. They draw attention to data gathered from communities on the ground, emphasizing that the COVID-19 crisis is not gender neutral.20 Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau for instance reports of women having to choose between food versus personal hygiene needs, the prevalence of multiple burden among women during the pandemic both within the household and in the community. Results of the Gender Inclusion Assessment (GIA) led by UNFPA and other international organization reveal that during the period of ECQ, women’s care work grew longer and riskier. Hours spent on domestic chores are longer, while community health workers report of being underpaid and stigmatized. 21 The report also highlight other gendered impact of the pandemic – lactating women and member of the LGBQI+ community worrying about their access to sexual, reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, and of reports of disrupted service delivery. For transgenders under hormone therapy and individuals living with HIV in need of ARVs, access to needed hormones and needed therapy became challenging, if not unavailable. 22 While the virus infects everyone, gender and other pre-existing vulnerabilities render women, girls, and members of the LGBQI+ more vulnerable during crisis. Initial government responses were unable to take into account needs of women and girls and gender is not mainstreamed in government’s COVID-19 Response Early monitoring conducted by the Commission betray the failure of initial responses to mainstream gender into government’s response to COVID-19. This is observed in the provision of relief goods and assistance to families, the interruption of needed sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and commodities 16 Interviews with community women in Brgy. Rolling Hills, Payatas by GEWHRC during relief drive Interview with community women in Montalban, Rizal by GEWHRC during relief drive 18 Request for legal assistance by urban poor association of Navotas 19 Situation of LGBTQI Filipinos during COVID Pandemic. Presentation of Curls – Magdalena Robinson. 20 Womens’ Legal and Human Rights Bureau. Covid-19 is not Gender Nuetral. 27 April 2020. https://wlbonline.org/covid19-update1/?fbclid=IwAR12zkYKcHH1OeQA6EPEMpc3keZsGFWrXaOilBwHQMJzT_rBzgNTbk29ig 21 UNFPA et. al., Silayan: Voices from the Pandemic’s Hidden Crisis, A Gender and Inclusion Assessment of COVID19-s Impacts. 2020 22 Webinar on Situation of LGBQI Filipinos during Pandemic. Insights from Curls and TLF Share; CHR-GEWHRC. “Krisis at Bahaghari: Narratives of Stigma and Resilience of LGBTQI Community During COVID-19 Pandemic. 2020 17 5