The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) further strengthens its grassroots campaign through the third leg of the Lakbay Karapatan Tungo sa Kamalayan (LaKarAn) Phase 2 in Region VIII, Eastern Visayas. The two-day engagement was held in Samar on 28–29 October 2025.
Spearheaded by OIC Regional Director Atty. Joy Sodusta and Human Rights Promotions Office (HRPO) OIC Director Dr. Jerrick Gerard Go, the initiative was implemented by CHR Regional Office VIII together with CHR Central Office’s HRPO; Campaigns and Advocacy Division; Legal, Legislative, and Government Division; and the Strategic Communication Division.
LaKarAn, one of CHR’s flagship programs, under the leadership of Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc, aims to cultivate a stronger culture of human rights awareness and encourage community participation. The Eastern Visayas run gathered representatives from local government units, civil society, the media, academe, and security forces for shared learning on human rights and local governance.
Major activities included the Human Rights Action Center Summit, which focused on strengthening local protection mechanisms. The Media Forum emphasized the essential role of journalists in safeguarding truth and accountability, while the Civil Society Organizations Forum provided a venue to surface regional human rights challenges at the grassroots level.
To promote the localization of human rights efforts, an Advocacy Forum on Legislating Human Rights Ordinances encouraged local leaders to adopt human rights-based approaches in governance.
Partnerships with Samar State University and Eastern Samar State University were formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement, designating them as Centers for Human Rights Education. A learning session followed to reinforce rights-based education in their campuses.
The Commission facilitated a courtesy visit to the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army at Camp Vicente Lukban to further strengthen dialogue and cooperation in upholding human rights in the performance of duty.
As part of the LaKarAn in Eastern Visayas, a learning session with the security sector was also conducted, alongside a courtesy visit to the Philippine National Police Provincial Office of Samar, to deepen collaboration and promote human rights awareness among uniformed personnel.
Through these engagements, CHR continues to bring national efforts closer to communities. LaKarAn reaffirms the shared responsibility of all sectors in shaping a society grounded in dignity, equality, and justice. ###