Submitted To:

Mrs. Maria Cristina S. Sagun

Submitted By:

“Group 12”

Liza Gin D. Zerna

Flordelyn Zosima

Kim Cedric Pasko

  The Commission on Human Rights

The Constitution created the Commission on Human Rights as a safeguard against the
recurrence of numerous human rights violations committed during the past regime such as
arbitrary arrest, torture, solitary detention, hamletting, food blockades, and extra-judicial killings.
It stresses the importance given by the Constitution to human rights and to their protection.

 Promotion and Protection of right to Quality Education

“The state shall protect the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take
appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.” (Art. XIV. –Education, Science and
Technology, Arts, Culture and Sports, Sec. 1.)

Everyone has the right to quality education. It is impossible for anyone to be a truly good
and useful citizen if he is ignorant and without talent or skill to free himself from poverty, to be
conscious of his rights and obligations, and to contribute to the progress of the country. It can be
said that the most of the problems facing us today (particularly poverty, unemployment and
insurgency), in more ways than one, are traceable to the lack or poor quality of education in the
country.

 Protection of rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities

“The state shall recognize, respect and protect the rights of indigenous cultural communities to
preserve and develop their cultures, traditions, and institutions. It shall consider these rights in
the formulation of the national plans and polices.” (Ibid., Sec. 17.)

Agrarian reform, which involves land reform, cuts across cultures so that its
implementation should also take into consideration the customs, traditions, beliefs, and the
interests of indigenous cultural communities.

 Expropriation of Idle or Abandoned Lands

“At the earliest possible time, the Government shall expropriate idle or abandoned agricultural
lands as may be defined by law, for distribution to the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform
program.” (Art. XVIII. –Transitory Provisions, Sec. 22.)

The State is mandated to undertake an agrarian reform program founded on the right of
farmers and regular farmworkers who are landless, to own directly or collectively, the lands they
till. To this end, it shall encourage and undertake the just distribution of all agricultural lands.
(Art. XII, Sec. 4.) Section 22 refers to private agricultural lands which are idle or abandoned as
may be defined by law. The government shall expropriate them at the earliest possible time for
distribution to the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program.