The Commission on Human Rights marked this year’s culminating run of the Lakbay Karapatan Tungo sa Kamalayan (LaKarAn) Phase 2 with a two-day convergence of leaders, advocates, and communities in Kalibo, Aklan on 26 to 27 November 2025. The Western Visayas leg, led by Regional Director Atty. Jonnie L. Dabuco, brought together key sectors to reflect on shared responsibilities in advancing rights-based governance at the local level.

Spearheading the two-day convergence were the CHR Regional Office VI, together with the Office of Commissioner Beda A. Epres – Strategic Communication Division, and the Campaigns and Advocacy Division and the Legal, Legislative, and Government Division of the Policy Linkages Office. Their combined efforts ensured that local leaders, advocates, and communities were brought into meaningful dialogue.

Kicking off the two-day program is a forum with barangay leaders, where the Commission underscored the central role of local leadership in shaping safer and more rights-respecting communities. This was held alongside a dialogue with the security sector, thereby reaffirming CHR’s commitment to working with uniformed personnel in promoting dignity and accountability in law enforcement.

Aligned with the 6th Commission en banc’s priority to uphold the safety and welfare of journalists, the LaKarAn continued its Media Forum sessions, providing a space for journalists to raise concerns about the risks and threats they face in their profession. This engagement featured the CHR’s Management Information System Monitoring Outlet (MISMO) and the Alisto! Alert Mechanism as concrete platforms which enable the Commission to respond directly to attacks and threats against media workers. These initiatives form part of CHR’s broader effort to support the full implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists (PPASJ) by identifying and strengthening measures to protect media practitioners.

“Sa LaKarAn po ay bumababa po talaga kami sa grassroots para ipaalam sa mga tao ang presensya ng Commission on Human Rights, kung ano po ‘yung aming mandato. ‘Yung mantra po namin ngayon, kami po ay naglilingkod maging sino ka man. Kung mayroon mga human rights violations, ‘wag kayong mag-atubiling lumapit at mag-file ng cases dito,” CHR Commissioner and Spokesperson Beda A. Epres said during the Media Forum, actively participating through his online presence despite the weather conditions during LaKarAn.

The Western Visayas leg of LaKarAn also placed emphasis on partnerships that sustain long-term human rights work. Particularly, the Civil Society Organizations Forum gathered grassroots advocates whose efforts remain essential in reaching vulnerable and marginalized groups. A dialogue with municipal mayors and vice mayors further reinforced CHR’s push for local governance that puts at the forefront dignity, fairness, and people-centered development.

“As you can recall, several years ago, sumikat ‘yung ‘Nasaan ang CHR?’. And so, we created more partnerships not only in the regional, but also in the municipal and barangay level,” Regional Director Dabuco said during the Kalibo kickoff of LaKarAn Phase 2.

The Commission formalized its collaboration with Aklan State University through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement designating it as a Center for Human Rights Education. This partnership reinforces efforts to deepen human rights awareness among students and educators by integrating rights-based learning into academic programs, research work, and community engagement.

The LaKarAn human rights caravan, led by CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc, brings human rights education, services, and dialogue directly to communities, making these resources more accessible nationwide. Through every leg of the caravan, the initiative envisions to bridge gaps in human rights awareness, strengthen local partnerships, and ensure that issues raised by grassroots communities are properly documented and acted upon.

As the culminating caravan for 2025, the LaKarAn in Western Visayas stands as a reaffirmation of CHR’s advocacy: to bring human rights education and collaboration to communities. Through these engagements, CHR closes the year with strengthened alliances and a shared commitment to building a more just and inclusive Philippine society. ###