Teach human rights values to children during their crucial formative years so they would uphold, safeguard and cherish them for a lifetime.
This was the statement issued by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to the proposal of Sen. Loren B. Legarda to include the Bill of Rights under Article III of the 1987 Constitution in the country’s educational curriculum.
Legarda's bill plans to teach human rights principles among the younger generation in the hopes of empowering them with the knowledge that the practice of human rights comes with duties and responsibilities.
Executive Director Jacqueline Ann de Guia said the CHR is grateful that Legarda shares the commission’s vision of including the fundamental rights in basic education.
The CHR hopes that the proposed bill will help young Filipinos foster mutual understanding, equality, and tolerance among people from all walks of life, culture, and background, De Guia, a lawyer, said.
"Human rights education is essential in building and nurturing a human rights culture that values equality and upholds the inherent dignity of all," she said.
"Government accountability and public service excellence are also strengthened through human rights education," she added.
She noted the CHR’s efforts to conduct human rights education through its Human Rights Institute (HRI). T
She said the CHR also provides trainings for government personnel to help them better understand their role as primary duty-bearers in fulfilling human rights obligations to faithfully comply with human rights standards and principles.
"To cater to a wide range of audience, the CHR's Strategic Communication Division also produces and disseminates information, education, and campaign materials in all our online channels to make human rights principles relatable and relevant to the daily life of Filipinos," she added.