The Philippines is one of the few countries in the world, that is advance in terms of institutionalizing its duty on human rights. 1. The Barangay Human Rights Action Center (BHRAC) was created in 1994 by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Department of Interior and Local Government. It seeks to empower the people at the grassroots level to promote and protect human rights as well as bring the services of the CHR closer to the people.
2. Formally, the BHRAC is created through a Barangay Resolution. It is manned by a Barangay Human Rights Action Officer (BHRAO) who is elected in a Barangay Assembly. The BHRAO should not be a political appointee, does not hold an elective position and is not engaged in partisan politics.
3. The BHRAO’s functions include the following; Complaints Processing, Coordination and Referral, Mobilization and Information and Education. There are more than 14, 408 BHRACs in the Philippines. Simply put one does not need to go to CHR headquarters in Manila to file complaints about human rights violations or know more about what human rights is all about.
Visit your barangay to inquire about your BHRAC and who your BHRAO is. If there is none start a petition in your community to establish a BHRAC. For more information on BHRAC visit the website of the CHR at http://www.chr.gov.ph/MAIN%20PAGES/services/link_devt1b_gco.htm.
Be Aware. Be Informed. Be Empowered.
Team Democracy handles the PODER and G-WATCH programs of the Ateneo School of Government. To know more about them, visit www.asg.ateneo.edu . –TEAM DEMOCRACY ATENEO SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, Manila Times
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO constitution
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