m
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
J 
of t!(P f> ! ■,t.t u r f
’,7 JUL -6 AlO :32
SENATE
SENATE BILL NO. 
V
RECaVLu HY.
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING HUMAN RIGHTS AS A SEPARATE AND 
SPECIALIZED SUBJECT IN BOTH BASIC AND HIGHER EDUCATION
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article XIV, Section 3 of the Constitution provides in part that -
“(1) All education institutions shall include the study of the C onstitution as part 
of the curriculum .”
“(2)They shall inculcate patriotism , foster love for hum anity, respect for hum an rights, 
appreciation of the role of the national heroes in the historical developm ent of the 
country, teach the rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual 
values, develop m oral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and 
creative thinking, broaden scientific and technical know ledge and prom ote vocational 
efficiency.”
“(3) XXX.”
Article XIV, Section 18, subparagraph 5 of the same also empowers the 
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to “establish a continuing program of research, 
education, and information to enhance respect for the primacy of human rights”.
Subsequent legislations such as Republic Act Nos. 6655 (the “Free Secondary 
Education Act”), 9710 (the “Magna Carta ofWomcn,r), 9745 (the “Anti-Torture Act,T), 
and 9262 (the “Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act”) also expressly 
mandate government agencies to teach human rights in schools and other training 
institutions.
Various international Human Rights instruments, many of which are ratified 
by the Philippines, encourage State parties to provide for Human Rights Education 
(HRE), including, among others, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the 
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 
(CEDAW), the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and 
the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).


In accordance with international human rights instruments, HRE is defined as 
training, dissemination and information efforts aimed at the building of a universal 
culture of human rights through the imparting of knowledge and skills and the 
molding of attitudes, which are directed towards : “(a) The strengthening of respect 
for human rights and fundamental freedoms ; (b) The full development of the human 
personality and the sense of its dignit>” (c) The promotion of understanding, tolerance, 
gender equality and friendship among all nations, indigenous peoples and racial, 
national, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups; (d) The enabling of all persons to 
participate effectively in a free society; (e) The furtherance of activities of the United 
Nations for the maintenance of peace.”1
It is important to note that the Philippines was among the signatories to the 
World Programme for Human Rights Education (WPHRE) of the United Nations 
Human Rights Committee, which is focused on integrating human rights education in 
the primary and secondary school systems.
All the above mentioned Philippine laws and treaties provide for the enabling 
framework for teaching human rights.
However, in a 2012 study commissioned by the CHR and the United Nations 
Development Programme (UNDP) entitled “The State of Human Rights Edueation in 
the Philippnies: Issues, Coneerns and Directions”,2 it was reported that HRE was 
taught at the appreciation level only. One of their recommendations, in fact, is to 
“deepen HRE and go beyond the appreciation leveD.”
“Because it is supposed to be integrated in the courses, there is not enough time 
devoted solely to hum an rights. One teacher put it dram atically, because it is 
supposed to be integrated, only “a total of 2 m inutes are used at the end of the 
course to integrate hum an rights...
XXX
...based on the survey and the focus group discussion (FG Ds), the concerns of 
hum an rights are incorporated in the various courses of the schools...H ow ever, 
treatm ent of hum an rights is quite limited and thus m ay be said to be only at the 
level of appreciation, at m ost”.
Even with the K to 12 Program now in place, HRE is still merely incorporated 
in various existing subjects^ from Grades 1-12.
In a time when human rights are violated on a daily basis- the summary 
execution of suspected drug offenders; the Philippine President himself criticized for
1 'The State of Human Rights Education in the Philippines: Issues, Concerns and Directions” Paper presented 
during the 7th National Congress on Good Citizenship Forming the Youth into Good Citizens ; Contemplating, 
Articulating, Operationalizing Values by Maricel T. Fernandez and Alex B. Brillantes of UP NCPAG (8 December 
2012). Retrieved from http://www.0mbudsman.g0v.ph/UNDP4/wp-c0ntent/upl0ads/2013/07/The-state-0f- 
Human-Rights.pdf
2 Ibid.
Ibid.
^ Based on the May 2016 K to 12 Curriculum for Grades 1 to 10. HRF is incorporated in the E d iik a s y a n g  sa 
P a g p a p a k a ta o  subject. Based on the May 2016 K to 12 Curriculum for Grade 11 to 12, HRE is incorporated in the 
following subjects -  (i)Understanding Culture, Society and Politics and (2) Introduction to the Philosophy of the 
Human Person


misogyny, catcalling female reporters and making derogatory^ comments about 
women; children forced to engage in the cybersex trade to feed their families; inmates 
densely cramped like sardines in jails and national penitentiaries; individuals flee their 
homes and communities of work and education in emergency situations brought by 
natural disaster or in the context of armed conflict, it is but the State’s responsibility 
to protect every' citizen against human rights abuse both by state and non-state actors.
The 2015 United Nations Report on the Role of Prevention in the Promotion 
and Protection of Human Rights'^ acknowledged that an effective HRE is an essential 
tool in the pr'otection of human rights:
“24. 
H u m a n  rig h ts  e d u c a tio n  c o n trib u te s  to  th e  p re v e n tio n  o f h u m a n  rig h ts  
v io la tio n s  a n d  c o n flic t, a n d  to  th e  e n h a n c e m e n t o f p a rtic ip a tio n  in d e c is io n ­
m a k in g  p ro c e s s e s  w ith in  a d e m o c ra tic  s y s te m ...it e m p o w e r s  r ig h ts - h o ld e r s  to  
c la im  th e ir  r ig h ts , a n d  d e v e lo p s  th e  c a p a c ity  o f  th o s e  w ith  p o w e r  a n d  
r e s p o n s ib ility  ( d u ty -b e a re rs ), 
s u c h  a s  th e  p o lic e , 
m ilita r y  a n d  
p u b lic  
o ffic ia ls , to  m e e t t h e ir  o b lig a tio n s  t o  p r o te c t, r e s p e c t a n d  f u lf il h u m a n  
r ig h ts . In a d e q u a te  h u m a n  r ig h ts  e d u c a tio n  h a s  b e e n  id e n tifie d  a s  o n e  o f  th e  
g r e a te s t o b s ta c le s  to  th e  e n jo y m e n t o f  a ll h u m a n  r ig h ts  b y  a ll p e r s o n s .”
This measure adopts the recommendation of the CHR-UNDP study to deepen 
HRE by institutionalizing human rights as a separate and specialized subject in both 
basic and higher education.
For the above reasons, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
I  l V l I A  M .  D E  L I M A  5
5 United Nations Report on the Role of Prevention in the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. 16 July 
2015. Retrieved from www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/.../A_HRC_30_20_ENG.docx


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
Ql I'lC 
.' "tnrp
■17 JUL-6 A1G:32
SENATE
SENATE BILL NO.
E K IV ’C C  B ',.
Introduced by SENATOR E EIIA  M. DE LIMA
AN AC r
INSTITUTIONALIZING HUMAN RIGHTS AS A SEPARATE AND 
SPECIALIZED SURJE.CT IN ROTH BASIC AND H IG H l.R EDUCATION
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled.
1 
SECTION 1. S h o rt Title. -  This Act shall be known as the “Human Rights
2 
Education Act of 20iy."
3 
SEC. 2. D eclaration o f Policy. -Article XIV, Section 3 of the Constitution
4 
provides that all educational institutions shall include the study of the Constitution as
5 
part of the curricula. As an integral part of our Constitution, human rights is a concept
6 
that all Filipinos must learn if we are to survive as a modern democracy. As such, it is
7 
the duty of our learning institutions to ensure that our citizens are properly educated
8 
of the principles of human rights in both formal and non-formal settings. In
9 
furtherance thereof, it is hereby declared a policy of the State to require all educational
10 
institutions to teach human rights as a specialized subject taught separately and
11 
progressively throughout the basic and higher education programs.
12 
SEC. 3. C urriculum . — The Department of Education (DepEd) and the
13 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall identify international human rights


14 
education standards or best practices for basic and higher education, respectively, and
15 
adopt those that they may determine to be aligned with existing State policies and
16 
domestic conditions. Consistent with such standards or best practices, the DepEd and
17 
CHED, in consultation with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), shall formulate
18 
the respective curricula and the course programmes for human rights studies for basic
19 
and higher education that shall, at the minimum:
20 
1. Consist of teaching modules or course syllabi that cover an introduction to basic
21 
human rights principles, such as equality, non-discrimination, human dignity,
22 
inclusion, empowerment, environmental awareness, and respect for the rights
23 
of women, children, indigenous peoples. Persons with Disability (PWDs),
24 
people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity and expression
25 
(SOGIE), and other marginalized or vulnerable sectors;
26 
2. Focus on personal values, attitudes and behaviors that promote personal
27 
responsibility for respecting, upholding and protecting human rights; and
28 
3. Provide practical information for protecting oneself from gender-based
29 
violence, child abuse and exploitation.
30 
SEC. 4. Iiiipleinentatioii Period. -  The DepEd and CHED shall formulate and
31 
finalize their respective curricula within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act;
32 
and implement the same within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act.
33 
SEC. 5. M andatory E valuation an d  R eporting. -  Every four (4) years, the
34 
DepEd and CHED shall conduct a mandatory review of the implementation of this Act
35 
and submit a report of its findings to Congress.
36
SEC. 6. A p p ro p riatio n s. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of
37 
this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriation of the implementing
2


38 
agencies. Thereafter, such amount necessar>' for the continued implementation of this
39 
Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
40 
SEC. 7. S eparability C lause. — Should any provision of this Act be declared
41 
invalid, the remaining provisions shall continue to be valid and subsisting.
42 
SEC. 8. R epealing C lause. - All laws, executive orders, or administrative
43 
orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are
44 
hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly.
45 
SEC. 9. Effeclivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
46 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,