KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Region 12 underscored the crucial role of Barangay Human Rights Action Centers (BHRAC) in the promotion of human rights and the prevention of gender-based violence at the community level.

“In a sense, the Barangay Human Rights Action Center serves as an extension of the CHR,” lawyer Keysie Gomez, OIC regional director of the CHR, said in a recent press conference of the Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC).

BHRAC is a program of the CHR that aims to empower village officials and ordinary citizens to actively participate in promoting and safeguarding human rights in their respective communities.

According to her, generally, the program is focused on raising awareness, education, and advocacy related to human rights.

“When we go to communities, we partner with local government units. We emphasize the role of the barangays because sila yong nasa [they are the ones on the] frontlines. They are the first that could take note of incidents of gender-based violence, as sometimes VAWC (Violence Against Women and Their Children) cases are lodged first in the barangays,” Gomez explained.

This also helps empower barangays to help their constituents access mechanisms through which victims of VAWC and other human rights violations may be assisted.

Gomez noted that several LGUs in the Soccsksargen Region have been active in establishing their BHRACs.

“From these barangays, we have observed improvements in so far as gathering or reporting cases to CHR is concerned,” she said.

“Mas napapadali ang mechanism how the client, for example, wishes to file a case ang barangay na ang papaabot ng kanilang concern to the CHR,” Gomez explained.

[The mechanism is easier if the client, for example, wishes to file a case in the barangay,and in turn, that barangay will relay their concern to the CHR.]

Gender-Based Violence Mapping

During the recent RGADC press conference, Gomez also shared that the CHR is currently collaborating with the Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU) for the mapping of gender-based violence.

This partnership, she explained, is directed towards informing the community and recording how the community addresses gender-based violence issues, as well as engaging partner agencies in information dissemination about gender-based violence-related laws on SKSU campuses and surrounding communities.

“Sa (In) gender-based violence mapping, tinitingnan natin [we are looking at] how responsive are communities in implementing laws on gender-based violence, how they document cases, and how functional are their VAWC Desks,” said Gomez.

“For example, are they properly documenting incidents of violence reported to them, or do they resort to settling, or kumbaga, inareglo na lang ba ang mga kaso na hindi dapat areglohin [in other words, have cases that should not be settled been already settled?” she clarified.

Gomez also emphasized the importance of the mapping effort, stating that it will allow students at SKSU to gain exposure to the type of work that CHR undertakes, particularly data collection.

CHR and SKSU have already conducted gender-based violence mapping on SKSU campuses in Bagumbayan and Isulan. The official said mapping on other campuses of the state-owned higher education institutions is underway.

Gomez conveyed that once the gender-based violence mapping is completed, they will recommend courses of action “to capacitate officials responsible for conducting these responses to the clients and the community, these officials being on the frontlines.”

She, however, emphasized that capacity building for addressing human rights violations is “not only for women but also for all people, regardless of gender.” (DED - PIA Region 12)