Roland Sanlao, 38, grew up in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Sur. He was a police officer, but because of an illness he left the service.
Sanlao said he was also ostracized in the community because of being a transgender.
Sanlao came to Manila to work and ended up selling in the streets of Quezon City.
When the coronavirus pandemic broke, Sanlao was one of those most affected by the lockdown implemented by the government.
Homeless and without any source of income, he sought shelter in a Catholic church in Manila that was giving refuge to street dwellers.
