PHRCS invites NGOs and civil society organizations to hold discussions focusing on prevalent human rights issues and concerns in the country which include civil and political rights, women empowerment, opportunities for people with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, migrant worker protection, and prevention of cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment. (Photo courtesy of PHRCS)
TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite (PIA) – Regional discussions for the drafting of the country’s new human rights plan have continued as the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS) conducts the third leg of the joint regional consultations in the South Luzon and Bicol regions.
During the Philippine Information Agency Sulong Calabarzon program, PHRCS Executive Director Usec. Severo Catura discussed the whole-of-government approach in crafting the 4th Philippine Human Rights Plan (PHRP4) for 2024–2028.
Regional consultations are part of ongoing efforts to gather input from various sectors. After the consultations in Luzon and Metro Manila, the PHRCS will focus its discussions on Visayas and Mindanao.
Catura said that during the consultation sessions, various government agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), had their inputs and initiatives laid down for the creation of PHRP4 to ensure local human rights issues were addressed.
Each agency is assigned specific responsibilities aligned with international treaties; for instance, the DOJ will oversee civil and political rights, NEDA will focus on economic and social rights, and the CWC will handle the rights of children to ensure comprehensive human rights coverage across various sectors.
PHRCS also invites NGOs and civil society organizations to hold discussions focusing on prevalent human rights issues and concerns in the country, which include civil and political rights; women empowerment; opportunities for people with disabilities; Indigenous Peoples’ rights; migrant worker protection; and the prevention of cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment.
“This is not just the responsibility of government agencies; it means that all sectors of society should be included in the consultation,” Catura said.
During the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2023, the Philippines pledged to create the Fourth Philippine Human Rights Plan.
Under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the PHRP4 is aligned with the “Bagong Pilipinas” agenda, which emphasizes a renewed commitment of the state to uphold human rights and international obligations.
The creation of the PHRP4 is rooted in the Philippines’ commitment to the 1993 United Nations convention held in Vienna, where members agreed to develop human rights plans for their countries. Since 1995, the Philippines has implemented these plans, with the most recent being in 2022. (TP/PIA4A)
Sulong Calabarzon is a weekly public affairs program hosted by the Philippine Information Agency Calabarzon, streaming live every Thursday at 2:00 PM via the Philippine Information Agency Calabarzon Facebook page.
