Tag Archives: COVID-19ph

[Press Release] P300 Communication Reimbursement, Dapat Umanong Ibigay sa Lahat ng Guro-TDC

#HumanRights #Teachers

P300 Communication Reimbursement, Dapat Umanong Ibigay sa Lahat ng Guro

“Kakarampot na nga, Pahirapan pa Bago Makuha!” Ito ang reklamo ng mga guro sa communication expenses reimbursement na nagkakahalaga ng P300 sa mga guro at kawani ng DepEd na gumampan sa kanilang tungkulin mula Marso hanggang Disyembre ng taong ito.

Sa isang YouTube video ni Teacher Emmlayn Policarpio, Secretary-General ng Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) ay mapapanood ang sentimyemto ng mga guro hinggil sa kautusang ito ng DepEd. Ayon sa kanya, nagkakaisa umano ang sentimyento ng mga guro hinggil sa bagay na ito. “Ang hinihiling po namin sa DepEd ay ibigay ang kabuuang halagang P3, 000 sa lahat ng mga guro sapagkat lahat naman kami ay qualified sa mga makatatanggap sa simpleng dahilan na lahat kami ay gumastos ng mahigit sa P3, 00.00 kada buwan mula noong Marso,” giit ni Policarpio.

Ayon sa DepEd Order No. 38, s. 2020, maaaring makakuha ng monthly reimbursement ang mga guro na gumastos para sa cellular phone load, internet data at iba pang gastusin sa komunikasyon basta nakapagsumite lamang ng resibo o anumang patunay sa kanilang gastusin mula Marso hanggang Disyembre 2020. Para naman sa TDC, lahat ng guro ay gumastos ng load para sa pagtawag, pag-text, pag-FB message sa kanilang mga mag-aaral at magulang pati na ang gastos sa internet para sa mga online meetings, webinars, downloading ng forms at iba pa.

Dagdag pa ng grupo, hindi umano sapat ang P300 dahil aabot sa mahigit P2, 000 ang gastos ng isang guro sa isang buwan.

“Natutuwa kami dahil mayroong ilalaang P300 para sa aming nagastos bagamat kulang na kulang ito. Pero sana huwag nang pahirapan sa reimburesement ang mga guro. Maghahanap pa ba kami ng resibo sa loading station o tindahan mula Marso para makakuha niyan? Paano kung hindi kami maka-produce? Hindi na bibigyan?” Dagdag pa ni Policarpio.

Partikular na tinukoy ng grupo ang mga guro na hindi na makakakkuha ng reimbursement ay yaong mga nagpapa-load lamang ng pre-paid data sa mga tindahan, yaong nakiki-share lamang ng internet at nagbabayad sa kapitbahay at maging yaong mga guro na hindi sa kanila nakapangalan ang internet o phone connection sa kanilang tahanan.

“Kung gusto talaga kaming tulungan ng DepEd upang mabawasan naman ang bigat ng gastusin, huwag na sanang gawing mahirap para sa amin ang reimbursement. Ibigay na ito sa lahat,” pagtatapos niya.

Muling iginiit ng TDC na dapat umanong sagutin ng gobyerno ang laptop at internet expenses ng mga guro sapagkat pangunahin nilang pangangailangan ang mga ito sa kanilang pagtuturo. #

For details:
Emmalyn Policarpio, Secretary-General
0923-0819751
Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOU-lzA6ArI

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[Statement] Reaksiyon ng TDC sa pahayag ng DEPED hinggil sa selected face to face learning

Reaksiyon ng TDC sa pahayag ng DEPED hinggil sa selected face to face learning

Isa lamang itong patunay na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa lubos na nakalatag ang plano sa pasukan bagamat malapit na ang takda nitong magbukas. At sa aming palagay ay napakadelikado pa ng face to face classes sa mga lugar na mababa o kahit pa walang kaso ng COVID-19. Nakita na natin ito sa mga nakaraang polisiya na kung biglang magluluwag ay mae-expose sa pagkalat ng virus ang mga mamamayan gaya ng nging resulta ng balik-probinsiya program.

Ang mas dapat sanang tutukan ng DepEd at ng pamahalaan ay kung paano gagawing maayos ang mga pamamaraan para sa distance learning modality gaya ng online, radio/TV broadcast o maging ang modular approach. Lahat ng mga ito ay hindi pa rin handa hanggang sa kasalukuyan samantala isang buwan na lang at magbubukas na ang klase.

Sana naman bago ang mga pinal na pagpapasya hinggil sa class opening ay maikonsidera ang kahandaan ng sistema at ang kaligtasan ng mga bata, guro at lahat ng mga mamamayan.

For details:
Benjo Basas, National Chairperson
0927-3356375
Teachers’ Dignity Coalition
4443 BCL Homes, Independence St., Gen. T. De Leon Valenzuela City
Telephone (02) 6920-296 • Mobile: 0916-6126739
Email: teachersdignity@yahoo.com.ph • Website: http://www.teachersdignity.com

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[Right-Up] Hidden Victims of the Pandemic: The Old Man, the Jail Aide, and the Convict -By Aie Balagtas See (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism)

PCIJ

Hidden Victims of the Pandemic: The Old Man, the Jail Aide, and the Convict

Three persons deprived of liberty describe how inhuman conditions in the country’s jails and prisons are placing them at greater risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are their accounts as told to Aie Balagtas See. The images, drawn by Alexandra Paredes, are artistic renderings inspired by PCIJ file photos of prisoners from various jails.

By Aie Balagtas See
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

“All prison detention cells are COVID-free. That is the safest place right now,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in late March, projecting an air of certainty even as the coronavirus pandemic raged. More than a month later, Año’s statement has become demonstrably false.

As of this writing, 716 inmates in city jails throughout the country have tested positive for the virus. In New Bilibid Prison (NBP), the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa, 140 inmates have been infected with the disease, and 12 deaths have so far been attributed to Covid-19. The Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong has recorded 82 positive cases, with three deaths.

The lack of mass tests, the highly infectious nature of the virus, the lack of protective equipment and proper healthcare, and the inhuman overcrowding at Philippine jails and prisons are a potentially deadly combination.

On condition of anonymity, three “persons deprived of liberty” talked to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in May, speaking out against the impossibility of physical distancing and the shortage of resources in prison and jail cells. The “minimum health standards” imposed outside are nonexistent. Worse, there seems to be a lack of empathy from the people who are supposed to take care of them.

Because they are locked away from the rest of society, inmates and detainees in prison and jail cells are the hidden victims of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here are their stories.

“We’re dead,” the old man thought when he first learned of Covid-19 infections. Illustration by Alexandra Paredes

A. The Old Man (Quezon City Jail)

The inmates were getting ready for jailbreaks. Our situation in Quezon City Jail has been tense since the coronavirus breached our walls in the last week of March.

We held a noise barrage that month. It used to be calmer here. No one complained even though it was unusual that many of us suffered from high fever in February and early March. One day, we found out that an empleyada tested positive for coronavirus.

That’s when paranoia kicked in.

Empleyada or empleyado, that’s how we call the jail guards. We only learned about her case through media reports. We were kept in the dark about our real situation here.

No one bothered to explain her condition to us. The jail guards left us guessing about our safety. We were left guessing about our lives. Days after the news broke, a fellow inmate died.

Nine more inmates who came in close contact with him later tested positive for the virus.

We were angry. We eventually found out that the empleyada works in the paralegal office where e-Dalaw or the inmates’ Skype sessions with their families were held.

That tells you that she came in close contact with a lot of inmates. I wouldn’t be surprised if all of us got infected. The only way to find out is through massive testing.

‘We’re dead’

An inmate who came in close contact with the empleyada was isolated as jail administrators waited for her results to come out. On the eighth day of his quarantine period, the inmate was sent back to our dorm. We don’t know why he didn’t complete 14 days in isolation. He ate with us, slept beside us. He did practically everything with us. Then the empleyada’s results came. Positive, it said. The jail guards went to our dorm and picked him up for another round of quarantine.

Most of us were in disbelief. As the inmate walked out of our dorm, it got us thinking: Are they really killing us here? Or are they just incompetent?

When I first learned of the Covid-19 infections, one thing crossed my mind: We’re dead.

We’re dead because social distancing is a UFO (unidentified flying object) here. Experts say maintaining physical distance is the best weapon against this virus. For a jail facility that’s nearly 500 percent congested, no matter how you look at it, social distancing is alien.

Let me tell you why I don’t trust their system here.

One of the quarantine facilities was on the floor reserved for tuberculosis (TB) patients. Can you imagine that? You’re breathing TB from that entire floor. If you have ordinary colds and cough, you might get tuberculosis instead of getting cured.

Now, no one wants to admit they are sick over fears that jail guards will send them to the TB floor.

How do they check us for symptoms? They ask: “Do you have a cough, cold, fever, or flu?” They want to know if we have diarrhea. If we answer “no” to all their questions, that’s it.

Every move, a peso sign

Usually, a plastic screen separates the jail nurse from us.

The empleyados have personal protective equipment. Not an inch of their skin is exposed while the detainees assisting them, called the orderlies, wear only face masks. The orderlies are the real first line of defense. They attend to inmates before jail nurses do.

Earlier this year, my daughter bought me two blister packs of flu medicines. They ran out before I could even take one. I had to give them to my sick dormmates because they couldn’t ask from the clinic.

Most of my dormmates had flu symptoms at that time, but I heard the clinic ran out of supplies. Sometimes, it’s hard to ask medicines from the empleyado. If you know someone from the clinic, your connection might save your life.

Otherwise, you have to buy. Every move you make requires a peso sign. You’re dead if you don’t have money, especially if you’re facing grave charges.

Receiving government provisions is like an awarding ceremony. They need photographs for the tiniest thing they give you. They give you a blister pack of vitamins, they take pictures. They give you a bar of soap, they take pictures.

They always need to take pictures as if these were trophies they would mount on walls.

But everything is a lie. They don’t take good care of us. They don’t even come near those in quarantine areas. They stay outside the bars that separate them from the inmates.

In response to that, I would reach out to grab them whenever they asked me how I felt. It always made them flinch and step backwards. It’s so funny! I do that just to see how they’d react.

I don’t feel we are being treated as humans here.

Hopeless, helpless

Inside jails, you are tormented by the thought that you can’t do anything. People want to complain but can’t. They don’t know how, and they are afraid.

Inside jails, you feel hopeless and helpless.

Hopeless because you are under their rule. It’s like a military camp. What the empleyado wants, the empleyado gets.

Helpless because there are no real safety measures. There are no standard procedures for quarantine.

This is why I decided to speak up. I want things to change – from quarantine and precautionary measures to the attitude of the empleyado nurse.

Once, a medical aide said a sick detainee needed attention. The empleyado answered back: “Bahala silang mamatay pabayaan mo lang sila (let them die).”

With that attitude from a government nurse, how will you feel?

Why are we put in such conditions?

We’re presumed innocent until proven guilty. We should not be placed in these life-threatening conditions. We still have the right to life.

Tormented

The tension between jail guards and inmates subsided when the government started releasing detainees in April. Some days they released 20 inmates, some days they released five, 10, or 38.

It’s a slow process but at least they’re doing something to address the problem.

On April 19, the jail started segregating the elderly from the general population.

Old men, like me, were taken to administrative offices previously occupied by jail personnel. One of the offices was the paralegal office! It was the office where the empleyada who tested positive for Covid-19 was assigned.

In one of the facilities, 11 people shared two gurneys and a stretcher. Sick inmates who recently died used to occupy those makeshift hospital beds. I don’t know if they have been disinfected.

After all the deaths and infections here, information remains scarce. They’re not telling us anything. Don’t we deserve to know the truth so we can also protect ourselves?

Like me, I’m already 60 years old. My immune system is weak.

For now, I take things one step at a time. I have this mindset that I will never wait for my release anymore. It will torment you if you wait for it. But at night, I sleep wishing that I can get out.

I wish I could benefit from the Supreme Court petition that was filed on behalf of detainees. When the courts sent me here earlier this year, I didn’t have colds and cough. Now I have it. I’m afraid that if they don’t do anything, I will die here in a few days.

“I think I’m Covid-19 positive as I have all the symptoms, but until now, I have never been swabbed for a test,” the jail aide said. Illustration by Alexandra Paredes

B. The Jail Aide (Quezon City Jail)

We badly need mass testing. I am one of the orderlies in Quezon City Jail. The old man and I are concerned that many of us are infected with Covid-19 already.

We don’t have sufficient information about what’s happening. They’re not telling us anything. I don’t know why. Maybe, they don’t want us to panic?

In March or February, we ran out of paracetamol after detainees with fever inundated the clinic.

Our Covid-19 prevention measures are also terrible! I’m one of those who assist jail doctors and nurses in the clinic. Those I work with are protected with proper medical equipment. Me? I attend to patients wearing only a glove and a face mask to protect myself.

In April, they relieved me of my duties when I went down with high fever. I really thought I would die. I had convulsions. I’ve been in quarantine ever since.

I think I’m Covid-19 positive as I have all the symptoms, but until now, I have never been swabbed for a test.

No physical distance

They placed me in isolation together with other sick inmates, which meant that if I had the virus, other inmates would catch it too.

Because it’s impossible to maintain physical distance, our line of defense against coronavirus is our immune system.

Even that is far-fetched.

Why? Because our food is terrible. Sometimes, we have longganisa (native sausage) for lunch for five straight days. For dinner, they always serve soup with vegetable. Sometimes our rice supply is half-cooked. Sometimes it’s burnt.

With a lack of proper food and exercise, boosting our immune system is next to impossible.

“The truth is, many of us are sick,” the convict said. Illustration by Alexandra Paredes

C. The Convict (New Bilibid Prison)

More people are dying in New Bilibid Prison every day. It is as if there’s a typhoon of dead bodies raining all over us.

This May, more than 100 inmates died. That number is unprecedented. It’s the first time I have seen something like that since I arrived here 20 years ago.

Many of them died of pneumonia and other respiratory problems. However, there were no tests that would confirm them as Covid-19 patients.

We are scared of many things. We are scared of contracting the virus, but we are also scared of getting thrown inside isolation wards.

Prison doctors will isolate you if they think you have symptoms. We don’t want to be in further isolation. This fear prompts inmates to lie about their real health condition. The truth is, many of us are sick.

The NBP has three camps: the maximum, medium, and minimum security compounds. The isolation areas are located inside these facilities. They are different from the newly built “Site Harry” where COVID-19-positive patients from the Bureau of Corrections were put in quarantine or treated. Site Harry is located beside the medium security camp.

We are scared but we can’t do anything. Gang bosses might wring our necks if we complain. Speak up and face the risk of being locked up in a bartolina (isolation cell).

We have to wear masks wherever we go. Prison guards and gang leaders are strictly implementing this policy outside our dorms.

Ironically, we can remove our masks inside our dorms during bedtime. Covid-19 must be having a grand time inside our walls!

‘Their lives matter’

There’s no way to gauge what’s plaguing us, for sure. There’s no massive testing among inmates for the virus that has already killed one of us.

I can only assume.

Uncertainty is our enemy. Only one thing is clear to me: NBP is not COVID-19-free and we may contract the virus anytime. Dying of Covid-19 seems only a matter of time.

We are scared for the prison guards, too. They also need attention. They need to be tested and tested rigorously.

Should guards die, they would be called heroes. The government would hail them as frontliners who risked their lives for public safety. Their lives matter.

But when we, the inmates, die, we will be reduced to nothing but ashes that our families can retrieve from crematoriums for a hefty price of P30,000.

We know that the virus is a problem everywhere. All we’re asking for is a health care system that caters to everyone, including us.

We’re humans too.

***

Postscript:

A spokesman for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) confirmed to the PCIJ that the female staff of Quezon City Jail who tested positive for Covid-19 was part of the “e-Dalaw operation,” but said her participation was limited to planning the inmates’ schedules. Detainees held a noise barrage after finding out that the empleyada had caught the disease, but the “commotion” was pacified and jail staff and inmates have since maintained open communication with each other, the spokesman claimed.

The BJMP did not respond to queries on whether suspected Covid-19 cases were isolated on the same floor as tuberculosis patients. –PCIJ, June 2020

Aie Balagtas See is a freelance journalist working on human rights issues. Follow her on Twitter (@AieBalagtasSee) or email her at aie.bsee@gmail.com for comments.
Alexandra Paredes is a graphic designer and artist. Her design practice spans social impact, corporate collaterals, teaching, writing, and commissioned art. Find her online at alexandraparedes.com.

Paredes’s illustrations are fictional representations of the old man, the jail aide, and the convict. These are artistic renderings inspired by PCIJ file photos of prisoners.

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[Video] UATC ONLINE LECTURE SERIES: Torture and ill-treatment in time of COVID19 pandemic

UATC ONLINE LECTURE SERIES: Torture and ill-treatment in time of COVID19 pandemic

An online discussion on the impact of the government protective measures against COVID19 to civil liberties and fundamental rights under community quarantine organized by the United Against Torture Coalition held on June 17.

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[Press Release] Teachers may need ‘internet’ allowance, local support -TDC

Teachers may need ‘internet’ allowance, local support -TDC

With the looming ‘new normal’ in education, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) asks the Department of Education (DepEd) for a sort of internet allowance to boost their existing cash allowance popularly known as “chalk allowance’ intended to for materials they use for teaching.

“With this drastic change in teaching and learning approaches, our teachers will need to upgrade their technological capacity and digital access,” said Ildefonso Enguerra III, a teacher in Roxas High School, Manila and the President of TDC-NCR Teachers’ Union (TDC-NCRTU), the TDC’s regional chapter in Metro Manila. “The DepEd may consider the provision of gadgets like laptop computers or tablets and internet access to our teachers,” he added.

Last week the DepEd announced that the cash or ‘chalk’ allowance in the amount if P3, 500 will be released sooner to all the teachers engaged in actual classes despite the earlier confirmation that there would be no face to face learning.

“That amount is only equivalent to P16.00 a day, but it would certainly help our teachers. But again, with online tasks continuously growing, we may need more funds to cope-up. Our experience in the first week of enrolment alone- where we were tasked to enlist the children online through social media, text messages and calls- shows that we will be needing more assistance to deliver the expected output of distance education,” Enguerra, who is also currently engaged in online classes revealed. The TDC said that a P1, 000 internet allowance per month, may not be enough but will be a great help for teachers.

The TDC, meanwhile commends the local government units that initially pledged their help to their constituents, teachers, and learners alike, including the cities of Pasig, Taguig, Manila and Quezon. These LGUs have pledged to provide gadgets to teachers and students or both.

“We appreciate all those initiatives, but we fear that if we leave it solely to the initiative of the LGUs, it will further widen the digital divide. These are highly urbanized cities and among the richest in our country, so obviously they have the capacity, while others do not,” Benjo Basas, the group’s national chairperson said.

Basas, however said that there is hope even in some localities outside the capital as proven by the Malolos City local school board (LSB), when Mayor Bebong Gatchalian and schools division superintendent Dr. Norma Esteban, co-chairs of the board agreed on the proposal of the City of Malolos Public School Teachers’ Association (COMPSTA) president Rommel Alcaraz for the provision of portable broadband, flash drives, alcohol and masks for all the 1, 700 teachers in the city.

“The city school board complied with the Learning Continuity Plan set forth by the DepEd Malolos and it did not leave the teachers on their own. Napakalaking tulong po ito para sa aming mga guro na makasabay sa ‘new normal education’ na ating kinakaharap ngayon,” Alcaraz said in a Facebook post.

The TDC leadership enjoined all its local members and affiliates to persuade their respective local school boards to divert the funds from repair and maintenance, construction and sports facilities to technological needs of both teachers and learners in their localities.

“The need for building may not be that urgent, even the sports activities are suspended. So it may be wise if we spend the money for digital needs. However, to be fair to all, the national government must step in,” Basas ended. #

For details:
Ildefonso Enguerra, TDC-NCRTU President- 0908 1637529
Rommel Alcaraz, COMPSTA President- 0932 8784676
Benjo Basas, TDC National Chairperson- 0927 3356375

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[Press Release] Illegal arrests are terrorist acts; HB 6875, unconstitutional – EILER

Illegal arrests are terrorist acts; HB 6875, unconstitutional 

Ecumenical Institute of Labor Education and Research (EILER) strongly condemns the illegal arrests conducted by state forces this week with which six jeepney drivers from Caloocan and seven labor rights defenders from Cebu are currently detained.

It has been several days since the Northern Police District illegally arrested the drivers during their Busina Para Sa Balik-Pasada program due to alleged violation of the social-distancing local ordinance. It was seen in photos that they did not violate such protocol, same with the seven rights defenders from various organizations in Cebu yesterday who were violently dispersed.

“The surge of protests is valid and inevitable for communities that are suffering due to quarantine restrictions. The poor drivers in Manila and those arrested in Cebu are simply airing out their concerns. Further, the phaseout of jeepneys is looming, and is being pushed amid a health crisis,” Executive Director Rochelle Porras said.

The railroaded HB 6875 or proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 still needs the president’s sign but is now essentially in effect. The bill’s flawed and unjust definition of terrorism and the council that will assess such acts might further incite violence.

“The bill being unlawful and can easily tag innocent civilians as terrorists are the act of terrorism itself,” Porras added.

EILER calls for the junk of the terror bill for it also violates basic human rights. Workers’ freedom of association and the right to strike can be interpreted as violations of the bill.

“Terror ends when the government stops red-tagging civilians and people’s organizations. Terror ends when people’s rights are guaranteed and protected. Terror ends when there is just and lasting peace,” Porras ended.

NEWS RELEASE
6 June 2020
Reference: Ms. Rochelle Porras, EILER Executive Director, +63 920 127 6491

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[Joint Statement] On disproportionate impact Covid-19 is having on women -OMCT and PAHRA

Geneva and Manila, 02 June 2020 – The members of the Women and Torture Working Group, a joint regional initiative of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Philippines Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), express concern over the disproportionate impact Covid-19 is having on women. The social, political, and economic sectors, in which women already face inequalities, have all been adversely affected by the pandemic.
In many countries, families share limited rooms, and homes have become particularly crowded spaces that exacerbate risks of increased domestic violence. In Bangladesh, a phone survey conducted by civil society organizations in April revealed that at least 1672 women experienced their first incidents of domestic violence during the lockdown.
Judicial, police and health services, which often provide limited assistance to victims of gender-based violence even under normal circumstances, have now shifted their priorities as a result of the pandemic or are finding themselves unable to help. In several countries, such as Sri Lanka and Nepal, the police have repeatedly refused to register domestic violence complaints.
Nepal is also one of several Asian countries where fewer cases of domestic violence are being reported under lockdown. Rather than an actual decrease in the commission of violence, this is a reflection of women’s inability to access help and report incidents under gender-blind lockdown measures. Abusers are exploiting women’s inability to escape or obtain help, and civil society actors can no longer access victims. This creates significant challenges in the collection of accurate data.
In most countries, the pandemic shines a light on already inadequate systems of protection and assistance for victims of gender-based violence. Covid-19 has merely exposed these existing gaps and vulnerabilities across the region. In the Philippines for example, there is no national hotline that specifically caters to women victims of domestic violence. The dramatic increase of violence against women is often linked to the inability of national institutions to adequately address this issue. In most countries, women were already frequently reluctant to report torture and other forms of violence, including domestic violence, and refrain from seeking justice.
In light of the above, the members of the Women and Torture Working Group call on governments in Asia to:
§  Design and implement a gender-sensitive response to the pandemic and guarantee the right of women to live free from torture and other ill-treatment. The pandemic requires national authorities to acknowledge the differential impact of Covid-19 on women and to implement rigorous measures that respond to the increase of gender-based violence.
§  Prioritize and integrate measures providing support to women victims of violence in national response plans to Covid-19. Measures include, but are not limited to:
o   Ensuring that all services of assistance for women victims of gender-based violence be considered essential services during the pandemic, and therefore remain accessible;
o   Addressing pre-existing gaps in gender-based violence response frameworks by developing all necessary services to ensure the protection of women;
o   Guaranteeing that shelters remain open and receive the resources necessary to adapt to quarantine needs;
o   Designating safe spaces for women to report incidents of abuse, such as in pharmacies, and ensuring that employees of such safe spaces are provided with a clear protocol to follow in these situations;
o   Adapting services to the pandemic situation by, for instance, moving assistance online;
o   Strengthening advocacy and communication campaigns about gender-based violence, including those targeting men. For instance, the hashtag #AntiDomesticViolenceDuringEpidemic has proven useful in China.
§  Guarantee women’s access to justice within the context of the pandemic, through measures that take into account current challenges as well as travel restrictions.
§  Guarantee the immediate release of women human rights activists and political prisoners and ensure that they are not subjected to torture and other ill-treatment while in custody.
§  Guarantee that women take an active and meaningful part in decision-making processes related to the pandemic and its aftermath.
                                                                                          
In times of emergency, violence against women increases. Covid-19 is no different. Political leaders in Asia have now an opportunity to demonstrate that this cycle can be broken. We call on governments to abide by international standards and ensure that women live free of torture and other ill-treatment, including gender-based violence.
Signatories
Members of the Women and Torture Working Group
·       Cristina Sevilla, Phillippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Philippines
·       Muna Baig, Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) and National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), Pakistan
·       Habibun Nessa, Naripokkho, India
·       Prachi Lohia, Mahila Sarvangeen Utkarsh Mandal (MASUM), India
·       Roshani Giri, Advocacy Forum, Nepal
·       Sayed Hussain Anosh, Civil Society & Human Rights Network (CSHRN), Afghanistan
·       Semkidmaa Choijil, Psychological Responsiveness NGO, Mongolia
·       Shreen Saroor, Women’s Action Network / Mannar Women’s Development Federation Muslim Women Development Trust, Sri Lanka
·       Sopheap Chak, Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), Cambodia
·       World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Switzerland

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[Statement] Free the Piston 6, allow jeepney drivers to resume their livelihood -CTUHR

Free the Piston 6, allow jeepney drivers to resume their livelihood

While public discussion on Anti-Terrorism Bill is raging, six (6) jeepney drivers and members of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) were arrested and detained on June 2 at Caloocan City Jail when 30 of them, wearing face masks and observing social distancing staged a “Busina Para Sa Balik Pasada“ protest in Monumento, Caloocan City. The jeepney drivers were calling on the government to allow them to travel and transport especially the workers returning to work who have been deprived of their income and livelihood as a result of almost three months of lockdown.

Detained are Severino Ramos, Elmer Cordero, Arsenio Ymas Jr., Wilson Ramilla, Ramon Paloma, and PISTON Deputy Secretary-General Ruben Baylon. Cordero, who is 72 years old and looks very frail, was not spared from arrest and detention. According to his wife, Elvira Cordero who was interviewed by CTUHR, ‘Tatay’ Elmer, was only given a chance to ply the route, once a week, so life was already difficult, even before the lockdown. They have not received any assistance.

The six were charged with violating Caloocan Local Ordinance #0863 or Violation of Social Distancing. The offense is punishable only by a reprimand and they should have been released yesterday morning. But the drivers were called by Northern Police District station for a dialogue with the Chief only to be slapped with charges of “disobedience” later. Regardless of appeals of various groups and individuals, including a city Councilor, the police remained firm on their continuous detention. As of this writing (June 4) the fiscal has not issued a resolution on the case and they remained in detention.

It is appalling that every night, they are transferred to a cramped cell together with other offenders with no physical distancing at all. Not only their detention is absurd and inhumane, but they are exposed to the possibility of contracting COVID 19, as an employee of the city hall was tested positive of the disease.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) strongly condemns the arrest and detention of PISTON 6 and calls for their immediate release. “To protest because the drivers are hungry and wanting to work, instead of depending on government assistance that never came, is not only legitimate. It is humane and logical. To arrest and detain them, is inhumane, height of insensitivity and a form of institutional violence”, said CTUHR in a statement. The Center also slammed the slow processing of their release which increases their risk of being exposed to COVID-19.


CENTER FOR TRADE UNION AND HUMAN RIGHTS (CTUHR)
Public Information and Education Department

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[Press Release] Teachers welcome Senate approval of School Calendar Revision Bill -TDC

Teachers welcome Senate approval of School Calendar Revision Bill

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) commends the action of both Houses of Congress to the bill that seeks to empower the president to set the opening of classes beyond August. The bill will amend a certain provision of RA 7797 which limits the opening of classes between the first Monday of June to the last day of August.

Last Monday, May 26, both the Senate Committees on Basic and Higher Education approved the consolidated version of several bills into SB 1541, while on Saturday, May 31, the counterpart committees in the lower house approved its own version, the HB 6895.

“The swift action of both Houses of Congress is commendable, our legislators understand the importance and urgency of this policy. We hope that it will soon be signed into law so the President may alter the school opening for SY 2020-2021 beyond August if necessary. If not, then the law will still be relevant. We cannot see the future, anyway,” said Benjo Basas, the group’s national chairperson.

The TDC earlier raised concerns on the preparedness of DepEd to facilitate virtual or distance education citing sentiments from the parents and even some teachers. But the group says that teachers are willing to work for whatever mode is possible and necessary after the DepEd assured the public that face to face learning is not an option for this school year.

“While the President gives his go signal for a blended’ schooling, this will only be finalized when the public is assured of the capacity of the system for remote learning and after the scientific assessment of COVID-19 situation in the country prior to August 24,” Basas, who participated in House hearing last week said.

The bill if signed into law will maintain the preference for the current school calendar but would empower the President, upon the recommendation of the DepEd Secretary to set a different date for the start of the school year in the country of parts of it.

“In the event that Congress approves this proposal, it would not necessarily stop the scheduled school opening on August, but rather it would give prerogative to the President of the Education Secretary to decide on the date of school opening for future emergencies or any fortuitous event that would make schooling impractical. With or without this pandemic, the law would still be relevant,” Basas ended.

The TDC, citing studies from UP Resilience Institute that the safe school opening is after December 2020 and the obvious lack of infrastructure and capacity of school system for distance learning agreed that the school year 2020-2021 opening may be moved to January 2021.

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[Press Release] Labor NGO underscores PUV phaseout will not help the real drivers of PH economy

Labor NGO underscores PUV phaseout will not help the real drivers of PH economy

Lifting the restrictions of quarantine after disrupting the livelihood of millions takes a huge blow in the economy and will further topple down if workers from the transport sector are being pushed to their extremes, according to Labor NGO Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER).

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Memorandum Circular 2020-017 discusses the relatively numerous requirements for the public transportation special permit for areas under the General Community Quarantine including that drivers should be part of consortiums or cooperatives, and must purchase the modernized jeepney for those who have the 2009 models and older.

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) can’t even include yet the transportation sector loses in its May 22 report entitled We Recover As One as the head of technical working group focused on the economy this pandemic. It was mentioned that Enhanced Community Quarantine has had a major impact on the said sector.

Around P1.1 trillion in a total loss, which comprises 5.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, was reported by NEDA since the start of the quarantine excluding the transport sector; which furthers the argument as to how much worse the economy can be.

“Today, the workers experienced a worse public transport crisis. The DOTr is taking advantage of the COVID pandemic to push its anti-poor policies, including phasing out of the jeepneys without concrete livelihood plans for the hundreds of thousands of jeepney drivers and operators,” Executive Director Rochelle Porras said.

The government’s action to push the businesses to resume their operations without mass testing also endangers the lives of the workers.

“If the government and businesses want to resume operations, they should provide safe and efficient public transportation for workers. It is unjust that the workers are made to suffer from walking for hours over long distances. The proposed jeepney modernization program of the Duterte administration will result in fare hikes for commuters and further massive displacement of jeepney drivers,” Porras added.

NEWS RELEASE
1 June 2020
Reference: Ms. Rochelle Porras, EILER Executive Director, +63 920 127 6491

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[Statement] TDC reaction on teachers’ June 1 tasks and opening of SY 2020-2021

Benjo Basas, National Chairperson, Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC). Photo by Arnel Tuazon

TDC reaction on teachers’ June 1 tasks and opening of SY 2020-2021

Like what we have said in the past, as long as the safety of school personnel and learners is ensured, our teachers will gladly comply. They are patiently doing different tasks- virtual and physical even during the Community Quarantine period and they are more than willing to take the online tasks expected of them beginning Monday, June 1. As to the August 24 opening, we still consider it tentative. The events prior to said date- like the local executives’ calls for further delay backed by some legislators’ proposal and the unpredictable pandemic situation will be decisive. But we hope that we are all safe and the system is ready by then.

Reference:
Benjo Basas
TDC National Chairperson
0927-3356375

 

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[Press Release] Urgent Justice Mechanism Needed for Repatriated Migrant Workers -MFA

Urgent Justice Mechanism Needed for Repatriated Migrant Workers

A Large Coalition of Civil Society and Global Trade Unions Launch a Call for an Urgent Justice Mechanism for Repatriated Migrant Workers

On June the 1st, 2020, a large coalition of civil society organizations and global trade unions launched a call for an urgent justice mechanism for migrant workers repatriated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Globally, the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that 195 million jobs will be wiped out as a result of the pandemic. In the Middle East region alone, an estimated 5 million jobs will be lost, with many of those jobs held by migrant workers. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 200,000 migrant workers have been repatriated to Asian countries of origin from different parts of the world. This number is expected to rise exponentially over the next few months. Countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Philippines anticipate the eventual return of a large number of their migrant worker population from abroad.

Without proper controls, employers might take advantage of mass repatriation programs to terminate and return workers who have not been paid their due compensation, wages, and benefits. Millions will be repatriated to situations of debt bondage as they will be forced to pay off recruitment fees and costs, despite returning empty-handed.

Without ensuring that companies and employers are doing their due diligence to protect and fulfill the human rights and labor rights of repatriated migrant workers, states across migration corridors become complicit in overseeing procedures where millions of workers will be returning without their earned wages or workplace grievances being heard, nor seeing justice in their situation.

“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” said William Gois, Regional Coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia. “Millions will suffer if this crime goes unnoticed. We cannot see this as collateral damage brought by the pandemic.”

It should be a priority to guarantee that all repatriated workers with legitimate claims are able to access justice and some kind of compensation. The appeal which civil organizations and trade unions have launched together calls on governments to urgently establish a transitional justice mechanism to address grievances, claims, and labor disputes of repatriated workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.

Many migrant workers have reconciled themselves to the situation of wage theft in the form of unfair or unpaid wages for months and years before the COVID 19 pandemic. They have accepted it as their fate and refrained from complaining lest they lose their jobs, or, worse still, live under the fear of their status being made undocumented.

“The pandemic must not stifle our will, our spirit, and commitment for justice,” Gois said. If we are to ‘Build Back Better’, we cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the issue of wage theft that has been persistent across migration corridors for years and will be unprecedented in the case of repatriated migrant workers in the COVID 19 pandemic.

To access the Appeal please see: http://www.mfasia.org/call-for-an-urgent-justice-mechanism-for-repatriated-migrant-workers/

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

William Gois
Regional Coordinator
Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
mfa@mfasia.org
+63 9209600916

RoulaHamati
Regional Coordinator
Cross Regional Center for Refugees
and Migrants (CCRM)
rhamati@insanlb.org
+974 50590778

Alonzo Suzon
Regional Program Director
Solidarity Center
asuson@solidaritycenter.org
+94 777870985

LaxmanBasnet
Secretary – General
South Asian Regional Trade Union Council (SARTUC)
sartuc.kathmanduoffice@gmail.com
+9779851021878

Henry Rojas
Coordinator
Lawyer Beyond Border (LBB)
henryrojas888@yahoo.com
+639178224710

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[Statement] Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND) and Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) on the International Week of the Disappeared, 2020

Joint statement Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND) and Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) on the International Week of the Disappeared, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic cannot obliterate enforced disappearance. On the contrary, it may even exacerbate the perpetration of this global scourge.

As we kick off the International Week of the Disappeared (IWD) this year, we think of Joseph Jimeda, fondly called Dodong. On 07 May 2020, Dodong, a resident of Caloocan City left home for the Navotas City fish port to buy fish. Vending fish is his source of livelihood. His wife and children waited for him the whole day and through the night. But Dodong didn’t come home. For a week they were clueless of his whereabouts. Fear engulfed them as they anxiously searched for him. Finally, Dodong surfaced with a harrowing tale to tell. He was arrested as he could not produce a Navotas City-issued quarantine pass. They then detained him along with more than 500 other alleged violators of enhanced community quarantine directives.

Read full statement @afad-online.org

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[Tula] “Kumusta ka na?” -ni Leni del Rosario

“Kumusta ka na?”
ni Leni del Rosario

Malaki.

Malaking malaki ang ambag ng manggagawa sa buhay ng bansa.

Atsa kasalukuyan ay malinaw na nakikitang kung walang manggagawa ay walang kakayanang tumakbo ang isang bansa.

At walang yamang paghahatian ang iilang nagsasamantala sa lakas pag-gawa.

Bukambibig ngayon ang pagpipilit na magbalik trabaho na ang mga manggagawa kahit pa ang katumbas ay pagsasalang sa kanila sa peligro ng sakit.

Imbes na pagkakataon ngayong maipakita ang pagpapahalaga sa manggagawa sa pamamagitan ng ayuda,pagtitiyak na ligtas ang mga lugar-trabaho, ay gusto pa rin siyang pigain at pagkakitaan.

Ang banggit ay- “Magtrabaho na kayo.”

Ni wala man lang…
“Kumusta ka na?”

#TugtugPak
#HindiKamiMananahimik
#ArtistangBayanMagingay
#TatambayDiTatahimik
#SafeNeverSilent
#MassTestingPH
#AyudaParaSaMasa

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[Video] KALMA: Mental Health sa Gitna ng COVID19 -iDEFEND & PAHRA

KALMA: Mental Health sa Gitna ng COVID19
May 22, 2020 • Biyernes, 4PM

Kasama sina:

Edel Parducho
Psychologist
Medical Action Group (MAG)

Malaya Lara
Volunteer Psychometrician
Medical Action Group (MAG)

Dr. Julia Racquel Rimando-Magalong
Epidemiologist, Pathologist, Board Member
Medical Action Group (MAG)

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[Off-the-shelf] Prisons and COVID-19: the real lockdown -APT

Prisons and COVID-19: the real lockdown

A third of the world’s population are facing some level of restriction on their movement as governments attempt to contain the novel coronavirus. Limits on ‘normal’ life range from mass gatherings to complete ‘lockdowns’ with penalties for leaving home without the required paperwork.

Lockdowns have also been seen in national prison systems the world over with fears of the disease ‘rampaging through places of detention’. There is a reason to be fearful. Prisons are notoriously hotbeds for infectious diseases. People live and sleep on top of each other – in the literal sense in some countries – and there is little fresh air, lack of nutritious food, and shortages in healthcare provision as documented in our recent report, Global Prison Trends 2020. To date there have been almost 40,000 cases of infection among people in prison reported and tracked across 60 countries and around 750 deaths in 28 countries – although the numbers will in fact be much higher.

When we look at the lockdowns people in prison are facing, we can see that like with many things, what is happening in the community is not only mirrored in prisons but magnified.

Read full story @www.apt.ch

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[Statement] On the August 24 ‘new normal’ school opening: address the gaps and fulfill basic requisites first -ASSERT

On the August 24 ‘new normal’ school opening: address the gaps and fulfill basic requisites first

DEPED is poised on opening this school year on August 24 amidst confusion and disarray on the ground.

Parents are opting not to send their children to school pending vaccine and assurance of safety against the contagion. Teachers and school heads could not answer the queries of parents and students about the details of the ‘new normal’ and multi-modal learning that DepEd is announcing. The August 24 opening is anchored on so many questions and uncertainties.

The date is incidental. When do we really say ‘we are ready?’ DepEd should make clear its benchmark and accomplish it. Uncertainty hangs over because DepEd pronouncements are not substantiated. Nothing is moving on the ground.

How do we insure the health protocols in schools? How would social distancing be implemented? Will there be shifting of classes? Do we get more teachers and have more classrooms to meet the 15 – 20 class size?

When 61% of 23 million households have no internet connection and 74% of the 47,013 schools have no internet access, how do we proceed with the online learning?
What infrastructures should be put up for the multi-modal learning? What do we do in areas with no electricity and no internet? How would rural population fare in multi-modal?

What trainings of teachers should be accomplished for online and digital tools? When would they be trained? What orientation and training should be given to parents so they are equipped in assisting in the home learning of children?

What is the plan for small private schools which have been complementing the government’s task of providing education and could no longer cope up with the demands of maintaining their schools?

Two months have passed but to date, there is no clarity yet on how to move forward. It is only now that DepEd is conducting survey among teachers, students and parents. DepEd’s responses to queries are so vague and all the more left us groping in the dark.

With these uncertainties, we support the plan of Senate Committee on Basic Education proposal to amend the law declaring August 24 as the latest day allowed for a school year to open. But this move should be back up by clear cut targets and standards on when to declare ‘we are ready.’

At the minimum, it is crucial that the following be addressed asap:
1. Conduct mass testing for teachers.
2. Speed up the requisites for multi-modal learning (broadcast platforms like radio and television, internet among others).
3. Build the needed infrastructure – internet connections and electrification of all schools in remote provinces.
4. Provide teachers with required gadgets and equipment – laptops and computers, digital notebooks and tablets.
5. Conduct massive and intensive teachers’ training on online platforms, digital tools and other alternative modes.
6. Trim the curriculum to focus on the core subjects and core competencies.
7. Develop and enhance the alternative learning system (ALS) as venue for learning and mechanism for moving up to higher level.
8. Encourage cooperation and partnerships among schools and local government units especially in putting up educational infrastructures.
9. Clinch support and sponsorships from private corporations engaged in digital tools, internet providers, telecommunications and social media entities.
10. Provide realistic and accessible mechanisms to engage organizations of all stakeholders: teachers, students and parents in reshaping education.
11. Ease the economic burden of teachers so they can be effective partners in reshaping education: a) give social amelioration for teachers of private schools affected by no work-no pay policy and all teachers who have become the sole bread winners; b) provide hazard pay to teachers.
12. For budgetary requirements, appropriations for debt payments could be realigned in favor of education needs.

The pandemic forced DEpEd to usher in innovations that should have been made years before. Now, it should get its act together and step up to decisively address all the gaps and inequities.

In ‘new normal’ education, the challenge is still the same – provide ‘education for all’ and make sure that ‘no one is left behind.’

https://www.facebook.com/notes/assert/on-the-august-24-new-normal-school-opening-address-the-gaps-and-fulfill-basic-re/125075982527223/

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[Statement] The COVID-19 pandemic and the urban poor: a call to action -SALIGAN

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE URBAN POOR:
A CALL TO ACTION

An Open Letter to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Its Member Agencies

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a myriad of crises among the urban poor in the Philippines. With rising COVID-19 cases in major urban centers and with the government’s recent declaration of a quarantine extension that still puts highly urbanized areas like Cebu City and Mandaue City under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and the National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna, and Bulacan under Modified ECQ (MECQ), urban poor families are facing more risks and experiencing ever-increasing vulnerabilities.

Lack of access to testing and dense populations have particularly exposed urban poor communities to the risk of infection. Cramped in small shanties with very limited space for movement and with houses made of makeshift materials, physical distancing and home quarantine protocols are impossible to follow in most urban poor households. Overcrowded and with limited access to water and sanitation, urban poor communities are vulnerable to various health issues, including the unrestrained spread of COVID-19.

Job insecurity and loss of livelihood, coupled with lack of access to basic services, have pushed many urban poor families to extreme poverty. For two months now, most of the families have limited or zero income. The situation has exacerbated the insecurity and inflexibility of urban poor livelihoods and jobs. Informal sector workers and daily wage earners are immediately affected by the restrictions in movement and have narrow options in terms of alternative work arrangements. Families relying on microenterprises have used up their savings and working capital for their day-to-day needs during the quarantine.

Urban poor organizations have pointed out the inadequacy of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP). A significant number of vulnerable families and individuals have not been included in the lists and the selection process has resulted in conflict among community members, community leaders, and barangay officials. While local government units (LGUs) attempted to provide food assistance to families, food aid from government and CSOs has already dwindled on the third and fourth week of the community quarantine. The ban on public transportation without workable alternatives has disadvantaged poor frontline workers, workers in essential industries, patients requiring regular medical attention, and urban poor pass holders going out to buy food and medicine.

Human rights abuses and arrests related to quarantine violations of the urban poor have been documented by different human rights groups. Meanwhile, domestic and gender-based violence and child abuse have worsened, with victims trapped at home with their abusers. The pandemic has also taken its toll on the psychosocial wellbeing of urban poor families. Children especially suffer in the midst of uncertainty and insecurity.

Indeed, the vulnerabilities of the urban poor are manifold: first, to the virus; second, to hunger; third, to abuse; and fourth, to fear and anxiety. Without a vaccine, treatment, or cure in sight, immediate, inclusive, and comprehensive government intervention is required. The crises faced by the urban poor cannot be solved by enhancing or modifying community quarantines alone. Enhancements and modifications to the government’s health and social amelioration programs and services are also necessary. They are a matter of life and death.

It is in this light that we, the undersigned civil society organizations, advocates, and members of the academe, urge the IATF for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to consider adopting the following measures:

1) Conduct free mass testing in urban poor communities and, consequently, contact tracing of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Provide additional Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs) and Local Isolation and General Treatment Areas for COVID-19 Cases (LIGTAS COVID) Centers as well as additional beds, food, water, sanitation facilities and equipment, and basic services for existing facilities and centers.

2) Automatically include all registered beneficiaries of the Urban Development and Housing Program, all qualified non-Pantawid urban poor households based on the guidelines of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and all families in National Housing Authority (NHA) Resettlement Sites, including non-traditional families and households, in the SAP. SAP allocation per community should be based on the actual number of families living there. Masterlists of registered beneficiaries and data on resettlement sites are immediately available at LGUs, homeowners’ associations (HOAs), people’s organizations (POs), and NHA.

3) Halt the incidence of hunger and fast-track the distribution of Food and Non-Food Items (FNIs) in urban poor communities. Augment the capacity of lower-income cities and municipalities to sustain the daily needs of big communities under their care.

4) Set up Mobile Palengke, Botika, and Family Clinics especially in communities that are far from city and municipal centers, marketplaces, and commercial areas. HOAs can help in the management of these initiatives.

5) Distribute face masks, alcohol, disinfectants, thermal scanners, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for community leaders who serve as frontliners in their communities, especially those with high numbers of COVID-19 cases.

6) Ensure sufficient water supply in all urban poor communities, especially in informal settlements and resettlement sites. In communities with limited access to washing and drinking water, water delivery and distribution should be undertaken.

7) Include programs and services for child protection and addressing domestic and gender-based violence as a core component of the government’s response to the pandemic, with sufficient resources and attention at national and all local levels. Facilitate the access of victim-survivors of domestic and gender-based violence and child abuse and exploitation to law enforcement, safety and security, legal assistance, and support services. This may be done by connecting the 911 Emergency Hotline to barangay violence against women (VAW) desks and women and children’s desks of the Philippine National Police (PNP), and allocating spaces that may serve as safe houses for victim-survivors. Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children (BCPCs) should also be activated to address child abuse and exploitation and domestic and gender-based violence alongside VAW desks. Existing protocols and guidelines for handling cases involving children should be promoted and popularized, and codes of conduct for the protection of children from abuse and maltreatment should be adopted by the PNP and LGUs.

8) Ensure the continuous access of children and adults to local healthcare services and facilities for nutrition, immunization, sexual and reproductive health, common illnesses, and mental health. All local healthcare workers must be provided with PPE. Physical distancing and regular disinfecting should be ensured in all health centers and facilities. The telemedicine program of the Department of Health (DOH) should also be made more accessible to children and adults in urban poor communities.

9) Undertake popular education and information campaigns to raise awareness and improve knowledge on COVID-19 and physical distancing and other measures in urban poor communities. Modules and materials for these campaigns should be age-appropriate, easily understandable, and accessible to PWDs.

10) Provide, in partnership with the private sector, free access of urban poor communities to the Internet as a crucial source of advisories and correct information related to the pandemic and the government’s programs and services. In this connection, measures to prevent online harassment and online sexual abuse and exploitation must also be adopted.

11) Reaffirm respect for human rights and human dignity as a policy of the State, especially in engaging and dealing with individuals suspected of violating the law to earn a living, to secure food, medicine, and basic necessities, and to air grievances. No individual suspected of violating the law should be physically or psychologically tortured or humiliated, or receive cruel, degrading, or inhuman punishment. Law enforcement protocols during the community quarantine should be exercised humanely and in accordance with principles of maximum tolerance, proportionality, and nondiscrimination.

12) Institute accessible and inclusive participation and feedback mechanisms at national and local levels especially for the urban poor and other vulnerable sectors, e.g. older persons, children, women, LGBT persons, and PWDs. Barangays should convene safe and regular consultations with community groups and organizations, such as HOAs, people’s organizations, and sectoral groups, for two-way feedback and inclusive recommendations on policies and concerns at the community level. Partnerships with CSOs working with different sectors should be built and strengthened to develop an inclusive whole-of-government approach that protects the vulnerable.

Signed:

Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panlegal (SALIGAN)
Contact: JC Tejano | tejano@saligan.org

Associates of the Urban Poor, Inc.

Community Organizers Multiversity

Save the Children Philippines

Joly Homes Foundation, Inc.

Urban Forum PH

Samahan ng Mamamayan – Zone One Tondo Organization (SM-ZOTO)

Koalisyon Ng Mga Samahan Ng Taga-Balagbag, Inc.

Bagong Pag-Asa ng Taytay Homeowners Association, Inc.

Dr. Mary Racelis
Research Scientist, Institute of Philippine Culture; and
Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, School of Social Sciences
Ateneo de Manila University

Michael Lim Tan, PhD
Professor Emeritus
University of the Philippines Diliman

Edilberto C. de Jesus
Professor Emeritus
Asian Institute of Management

Agnes M. Brazal, PhD
Chair, Theology and Religious Education Department
De la Salle University

Randy Tuano
Assistant Professor, Economics Department
Ateneo de Manila University

Anna Marie A. Karaos
Associate Director
John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues

Skilty C. Labastilla
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
Ateneo de Manila University

Athena Charanne R. Presto
Instructor, Department of Sociology
University of the Philippines Diliman

Simone Marie Sales
Department of Anthropology
University of the Philippines Diliman

Jennifer Kleskie
University of the Philippines Diliman

Noelle de Jesus

Deborah Nieto

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[Video] Ibang Klase: Onlayn talakayan tungkol sa edukasyon sa gitna ng CoViD19 -iDEFEND & PAHRA

Ibang Klase

Onlayn talakayan tungkol sa edukasyon sa gitna ng CoViD19.

Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of Teachers
(ASSERT)

Teachers Dignity Coalition
(TDC)

KAISA-UP

Student Council Alliance of the Philippines
(SCAP)

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Include your full name, e-mail address, and contact number.

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Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos, etc

[Off-the-shelf] BUILDING OUR RESPONSE ON COVID-19 AND DETENTION -OMCT Guidance brief to the SOS-Torture Network and partner organizations

BUILDING OUR RESPONSE ON COVID-19 AND DETENTION
OMCT Guidance brief to the SOS-Torture Network and partner organizations

This brief intends to provide evidence-based support and good practices for the protection of one of the most vulnerable groups of individuals affected by the COVID-19 outbreak: those deprived of liberty. It is addressed to members of the global SOS -Torture Network but may be used by any organization acting on people in custody.

It aims to inform advocacy, legal actions, other forms of support or dialogue with authorities, detention or penitentiary services, the media or the public on the protection of detainees in the present crisis. It focuses on the situation of those behind bars, detained and deprived of liberty. It also addresses the emerging issue of ill-treatment and criminalization of those breaking confinement rules.

The document is built on experiences of SOS-Torture Network members and core partner organizations of the OMCT, who act to protect detainees, seek their release, provide
physical and mental protection, legal support or mitigate the impact on the confinement, and who monitor human rights violations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We hope that this information can help and encourage others who are facing similar challenges, as both the virus and confinement response are spreading further from
country to country and from region to region.

The brief is not a collection of legal human rights standards, though it is informed by law. It is focused on those formally deprived of liberty while recognizing that there may
be other situations requiring similar actions, such as those in migration camps. It is in no way an exhaustive list of all relevant detention issues and does not cover all detention realities, which often differ even within the same country. Instead, the note touches on key items that have been at the forefront of SOS-Torture Network advocacy. More detailed policy papers and recommendations by international partners are annexed.

BUILDING OUR RESPONSE ON COVID-19 AND DETENTION
OMCT Guidance brief to the SOS-Torture Network and partner organizations omct_covid19_prisonsresponse_en

https://www.omct.org/monitoring-protection-mechanisms/reports-and-publications/2020/04/d25784/

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Include your full name, e-mail address, and contact number.

All submissions are republished and redistributed in the same way that it was originally published online and sent to us. We may edit submission in a way that does not alter or change the original material.

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos, etc.

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