CHR Supports Proposed Bill to Include Human Rights Principles in Educational Curriculum

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed its support for Senator Loren Legarda's proposed bill to include the Bill of Rights or Article III of the 1987 Constitution in the Philippines' educational curriculum.

In a statement by CHR Executive Director Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia on July 20, she said the commission is "grateful" that Legarda is united in their vision to include human rights in the basic education of Filipinos "to ensure [they] imbibe human rights values during their crucial formative years so they may carry it with them for a lifetime."

Legarda recently filed bills to include fundamental rights, food waste, agriculture, and entrepreneurial skills in the educational curriculum. In an ABS-CBN report on July 13, Legarda said a school subject on the Bill of Rights would "promote human rights principles" to young Filipinos.

The CHR believes that human rights education is crucial in empowering the youth by making them aware of their fundamental rights and the responsibilities and duties that come with these.

"It also contributes to harmony in society as human rights values foster mutual understanding, equality, and tolerance among people from all walks of life, culture, and background," de Guia said.

The CHR is committed to making human rights education accessible to the public through initiatives like information dissemination, campaign materials, and trainings for government workers, among others, through its Human Rights Institute (HRI) and Strategic Communication Division.

In harmony with its mandate, the CHR thus offered its expertise and experience to help in the development of Legarda's bill.

"We believe that collaborative efforts across branches of government will enable us to develop a law that will ensure a robust human rights education that empowers the people while ensuring responsible exercise of rights toward a vibrant, enabling, and harmonious society," de Guia said.