THE Baguio City Government has established a team to ensure its offices operate in a human rights-based manner pursuant to joint memorandum circular no. 1, series of 2014, of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
The circular calls for the mainstreaming of human rights through the rule of law and access to justice at the level of provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays. It defines human rights as a person’s supreme, inherent and inalienable rights to life, dignity and self-development.
The city’s human rights action team (HRAcT) was formed during a two-day capacity building on human rights action center and rule of law seminar held recently at the Resurrection Church Compound, Magsaysay Avenue, by the CHR regional office under Dir. Romel Daguimol.
Heading the team is the city administrator as chair with the legal officer as co-chair. Members are heads of the social welfare, planning, health, information offices and PNP human rights affairs officer.
Also included are the city schools superintendent, barangay human rights affairs office association president and at least one representative from civil society organizations, non-government organizations or people’s organizations that advocate human rights.
The HRAcT is tasked to develop and implement human rights plan of the LGU; propose to the city council the integration of human rights programs, projects and activities in the annual budget appropriation; recommend appropriate legislations to the city council’s human rights committee; utilize available resources for human rights promotion activities; spearhead and coordinate the implementation of human rights programs, projects and activities; serve as hubs for access to justice network; and more. (PR)