Regional consultation highlights ‘ownership’ of Human Rights

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By Mariela Angella Oladive

The fourth Philippine Human Rights Plan (PHRP 4) regional consultation for Western Visayas began on Monday, July 15, highlighting the importance of community ownership in developing human rights policies.

Organized by the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS), the two-day event is part of a nationwide initiative to gather diverse perspectives on human rights issues.

Usec. Severo Catura, Executive Director of PHRCS, emphasized the critical role of grassroots involvement.

“This activity asks people what they want for a national Human Rights Plan. We want to hear their sentiments from the grassroots. There should not only be participation but also ownership,” Catura said.

About 90 to 100 participants from various organizations, including representatives from vulnerable sectors such as women, children, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, migrant workers, and persons deprived of liberty, attended the consultation.

The new approach emphasizes broad sectoral involvement, ensuring the plan reflects the needs and aspirations of all Filipinos.

Catura noted that unlike previous plans, which focused primarily on civil rights issues like extrajudicial killings and torture, this plan addresses human rights in its entirety, including economic, cultural, and social aspects.

Catura explained, “If we look at human rights in its purest sense, it encompasses the lives of people in all aspects—economic, cultural, and the rights of different sectors in society. The difference now is that we have spread out the participation to all sectors so they can finally say they have a voice in the human rights discussion.”

PHRP 4 is a significant pledge by the Philippines to the UN Human Rights Council, announced by the Executive Secretary in December 2023 during the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

The plan seeks to address ongoing and emerging human rights issues, covering civil and political rights, economic, social, and cultural rights, and the rights of marginalized communities. It aims to uplift standards of living, quality of life, and human dignity, as envisioned under the administration’s call for a “Bagong Pilipinas.”

“This consultation ensures the policies and programs we implement are effective and truly felt by the people. When we talk about human rights, it’s about how the government can serve the people well. We need to look at these projects through a human rights lens,” Catura added.

The development of PHRP 4 is in the nationwide consultation stage. The draft plan is being vetted by human rights stakeholders, including non-government organizations, civil society groups, and local government units.

The extensive consultation process aims to create an inclusive, representative, and effective human rights plan for the country.

Day 1 of the regional consultation in Iloilo City included morning plenary discussions on civil and political rights, while afternoon sessions addressed economic, social, and cultural rights, indigenous people’s rights, and children’s rights, concluding with a presentation of the zero draft of PHRP 4.

The second day will focus on critical human rights issues through structured plenary sessions. The morning will cover equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities and empowering Filipino women, while afternoon sessions will address migrant worker rights and efforts to prevent torture, culminating with feedback from key stakeholders.

The nationwide consultation is coordinated by the PHRCS in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the UN and International Organizations.

The core team includes several executive departments responsible for the state’s human rights obligations under international treaties.

The first leg began in Angeles City for Northern and Central Luzon on May 26-27, followed by Mandaluyong City for the National Capital Region on June 20-21, and Tagaytay for Southern Luzon on July 1-2.

Upcoming consultations will be in Cebu City for Central and Eastern Visayas on August 5-6, and Davao City for Northern and Southern Mindanao on August 19-20.

The consultation will continue in General Santos City for Central Mindanao on September 2-3 and conclude in Cotabato City for BARMM on September 16-17.

By October, the PHRCS plans to finalize the PHRP 4 draft based on the feedback received and submit it to the Office of the President.

The official launch of the plan is scheduled for International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2024.