Previously published on August 1, 2024
The European Union helps provide greater access to justice for women, children, and indigenous peoples with the co-creation of the DILG Training Manuals
The European Union (EU) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) presented a series of manuals that will help local government units fulfill their mandate to protect the rights of women and children, and ensure inclusive and bias-free mediation (Katarungang Pambarangay). The event took place at the Luxent Hotel in Quezon City.
The EU’s Governance in Justice programme (GOJUST) has supported the DILG in the design and dissemination of these training materials that should help make justice more accessible to the marginalized sectors of society.
Grants provided by GOJUST amounting to EUR 422,760 or PHP 23,910,000, supported the joint work of the National Barangay Operations Office (NBOO) and civil society organizations Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panlegal (SALIGAN) and Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC). These organizations helped ensure that the manuals fully recognized the circumstances of marginalized groups on the ground, and that the systems proposed truly catered to their needs.
H.E Luc Véron, Ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines joined Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and other key representatives of the Department of Justice, Supreme Court, and the Justice Zones at the launch and handover event at the Luxent Hotel in Quezon City.
“Today we are marking the successful completion of three processes of cooperation between the justice sector institutions and Civil Society Organisations that should help protect the rights and well-being of vulnerable sectors of the population. CSOs are key partners in devising and implementing policies and programs that meet people's needs and deliver inclusive services to fulfill the central commitment of the 2030 Agenda: to leave no one behind,” said Ambassador Véron.
Local government units play a key role to protect the rights of those living in vulnerable conditions. Under the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004, for example, barangay officials issue protection orders for victims of gender based violence. The Katarungang Pambarangay is also an accessible and expedient resource for dispute resolution for sectors of the population living in vulnerable conditions.
“Access to justice is fundamental to building a fair, inclusive, and prosperous society,” DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said. “In this process, the local government, most specifically the barangay, plays a crucial role to ensure that no one is left behind.”
He added, “That is why it is imperative that you are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to perform your roles.”
The materials launched are the following:
1. Manual on Strengthening the Capacities of Local Government Units in Handling Violence Against Women (VAW) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Cases, updating existing training materials to the most current legal standards on violence against women;
2. Module on the Formulation of Comprehensive Local Juvenile Intervention Programs (CLJIP) and Child Rights-based Local Ordinances, a step towards the Philippine commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child as it protects the rights of Children at Risk and Children in Conflict with the Law; and
3. Training Manual on a Gender-Responsive, Child-Friendly, and Indigenous
Peoples- Relevant Katarungang Pambarangay, which enhances existing literature on the capacity-building of key officials and supporters of the Barangay Justice System, emphasizing the need to make such trainings sensitive to the needs of women, children, and indigenous peoples
With the EU’s support, these training tools have already been piloted by DILG in the cities of Cebu, Davao, Calamba (Laguna), Quezon City, Balanga (Bataan), Baguio, Zamboanga, and Naga, and will be used by local government units all the way down to the barangay level:
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With a total grant of EUR19 million (Php 1.1 billion ) over a period of four years, the EU’s GOJUST programme supports the Government of the Republic of the Philippines’ efforts to improve access to justice for all Filipinos, and thus, contribute to inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.
GOJUST works with the Philippine Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to develop more responsive and accountable justice services in the country.
In addition, GOJUST aims at strengthening the Commission on Human Rights to help it carry out its constitutional mandate of civil and political rights protection and enhance human rights promotion in the Philippines. This component is co-funded with the Spanish Agency for Development Cooperation (AECID), with an additional EUR 1 million (Php 59.47 million).
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Media Contacts:
Chiara Anne Zambrano. Email: Chiaraz@unops.org
Thelma Gecolea, Email: Thelma.GECOLEA@eeas.europa.eu
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