BIBOBAYONA: The Road to Miss Xtera Universe 2014

One of my other job is being an Admin Officer for Xtera Outsourcing Management handling Recruitment and Events.

In one of the job interviews I conducted, an applicant once mentioned to me that the reason why she left the job because of being harassed as a transgender in her previous company. She even told me that she wanted to be in an environment or a workplace where discrimination is not being part of the job. And we took her in. And currently she's one of our top-sellers in Outbound campaign.

In a country where an anti-discrimination bill is way behind a basic reproductive health bill, the message to LGBTQs is that they should just suck up the hostility in work environments. It's already difficult to expect better treatment for gays in a society when women still do not get what they are due. It’s even more unimaginable that LGBT employees would get equal pay and benefits for equal work. Xtera pride itself of providing equal and fair treatment to all sexes and regardless of their preferences.

In our company, gay employees are valued not only because of their hard work, but also because they typically don't have families, have few or no children, and are the less likely to take leave from work due to an unplanned pregnancy or childcare issues. These lack of constraints make them more amenable to work the US hours required by our accounts. Many Filipino gay and lesbian professionals are independent from their parents, and most consider their workplaces more accepting than their home situations.

The percentage of LGBT employees in our company is so significant, making it important for us to have adequate representation of this minority. And to celebrate the equality and diversity, we are staging this Ms. Xtera Universe 2014.

It's still a long way to go before the Philippine government genuinely shows its LGBT taxpayers that they are equal to other citizens under law. But in a country where the private sector takes more credible initiative and whose moves make a more reliable impact on Filipinos' daily lives, I hope that through this platform, and our company policy for no discrimination; we are taking the move towards that elusive concept of equality in Philippine society.

As we celebrate diversity and equality, Xtera Management brings you the road to the 2014 Miss Xtera Universe crown.

The meeting with the official candidates and Xtera Events Committee at Army Navy Valero St, Makati City

Final Briefing and distribution of Acceptance fee. An official candidate each gets an allowance to help her prepare for expenses. Winner will take home Php15,000, runners up will receive PhP10,000 and consolation prize of PhP5,000 for non-winning contestants. We also have 5 minor awards to be given away with PhP3,000 each award.

Our 6 hopefuls along with the reigning Queen Kim Balia Aka Jennifer Torres who won this title last year during our Christmas Party where I also served as one of the hosts along with my colleague Venus

Let's meet our 6 Official Candidates: