Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendana expressed disappointment over President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s failure to mention the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill during his fifth State of the Nation Address, saying the LGBTQ+ community continues to be overlooked.

Speaking to reporters after the SONA, Cendana said the LGBTQ+ sector is often acknowledged only during Pride Month but is left out when it comes to major policy priorities.

"Well he mentioned a lot of sectors, but as usual, he forgot the LGBT sector. When it's June, they issue pride statements, but when it matters, in statements like the SONA, we are forgotten," he said.

Cendana stressed that the proposed SOGIE Equality Bill requires strong backing from the executive branch if it is to overcome long-standing opposition in Congress.

He cited the passage of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, saying the measure became law after then-President Benigno Aquino III declared it a priority despite resistance from conservative and religious groups.

First filed in 2000, the SOGIE Equality Bill seeks to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. While the House of Representatives approved a version of the measure on third reading in 2017, it has yet to secure Senate approval.

"In the end, this fight for a SOGIE bill will require political will from the executive because there are really many people who are opposing this," Cendana said.

He expressed hope that the Marcos administration would move beyond symbolic Pride Month statements and actively support the measure during its remaining two years in office.

"So we hope in the last two years of this administration, beyond issuing pride statements, they would actually take a stand and deliver for the community," he added.