BACOLOD City — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod have intensified efforts to strengthen human rights protection at the grassroots level through a capacity-building activity for barangay officials.
The orientation, held on May 21, 2026, was organized by the CHR Central Office and CHR–Negros Island Region (NIR) in partnership with the Bacolod City Government through the office of Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Human Rights.
The one-day activity focused on the implementation of City Ordinance No. 1140, also known as the Bacolod City Human Rights Action Center (BHRAC) Ordinance, authored by Gamboa.
Under the ordinance, BHRACs will be established at the City Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) and in all 61 barangays of Bacolod to receive, assist, and address human rights complaints endorsed by Barangay Human Rights Action Officers (BHRAOs).
CHR Commissioner and spokesperson Atty. Beda Epres said the orientation aimed to equip barangay officials with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively carry out their role as frontliners in addressing human rights concerns.
“Barangays are the frontliners. They are the first offices people approach before concerns reach higher authorities,” Epres said, stressing the importance of capacitating local officials on fundamental human rights principles and community-based response mechanisms.
He added that the effective implementation of the BHRAC program depends largely on the ability of barangay officials to identify, address, and respond to human rights issues within their communities.
The ordinance institutionalizes barangay-level human rights protection mechanisms by requiring all barangays to allocate funds for the operation of BHRACs and designate BHRAOs.
It also mandates the creation of a Human Rights Defenders Committee to oversee the implementation and sustainability of the program.
According to Gamboa, Bacolod is among the few local government units in the country—alongside Quezon City and Baguio City—that have actively institutionalized BHRACs as part of local governance.
“The BHRACs will receive, assist, and respond to human rights complaints and issues, promoting accountability and access to justice for all Bacolodnons,” Gamboa said.
He added that the centers will also accommodate complaints and concerns raised by non-government organizations and private individuals in the interest of justice and social welfare.
The councilor noted that the initiative supports the constitutional mandate of the CHR to promote and protect human rights and is anchored on CHR Memorandum Circular No. 94-194, which institutionalized the Barangay Human Rights Action Center Program nationwide.
The program is further strengthened through a memorandum of agreement among the CHR, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the League of Provinces of the Philippines, the League of Cities of the Philippines, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and the Liga ng mga Barangay.
Officials said the ordinance seeks to address persistent human rights concerns at the community level, particularly cases involving violence against women and children, by ensuring faster access to assistance and strengthening local accountability mechanisms.
Through the measure, the city government also aims to position Bacolod as a model for local human rights promotion and protection, reinforcing the constitutional guarantees of dignity, justice, and equal protection for all citizens./PN
