IHR launches three publications on Children’s Rights in 2018 opener

Celebrating the World Day of Social Justice, the Institute of Human Rights (IHR) started 2018 blazing as it presented the book launch of three publications last February 20, 2008, 11:00 A.M., in the First Floor Lecture Room of Bocobo Hall, U.P. Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City.

Holding true to its mission of engaging in relevant and responsive research to contribute to the development of law and policy in the light of the imperatives of human dignity, the IHR through its Director, Professor Elizabeth Aguiling – Pangalangan, proudly launched Comparative Children’s Rights in the ASEAN, Children with Disabilities: Towards the Realization of the Right to Education, and Alternative Family Care Systems: Kafalah in Focus.

“For the past seven years, our work at IHR has highlighted research, publication, and training on burning issues of human rights, among them extrajudicial summary and arbitrary killings, business and human rights, women’s rights, and children’s rights,” said Prof. Aguiling – Pangalangan. “The weight of the immense duty to respect and enforce the rights of children, who are amongst the most vulnerable members of society, prompted IHR to embark on this research on children’s human rights.”

Comparative Children’s Rights, co-authored by Prof. Aguiling – Pangalangan, and Atty. Francesse Joy J. Cordon, presented a study on specific rights under the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC). The work examined how the CRC has altered the way children are regarded – from mere subjects of legal relations to dynamic possessors of rights. In each of its chapters, the book presented a focused discussion on the rights of the child to survival, protection, development, and participation.

In Children with Disabilities, a work co-authored by Prof. Aguiling – Pangalangan, Joel Mark Baysa – Barredo, and Abhay Luthra, the spotlight was focused on the right of education of children with disabilities. The work looked into persisting issues and gaps in the education of children with disabilities by synthesizing international standards and using such standards as a framework in analyzing the cases in three ASEAN member states, namely Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, and Thailand.

“This important work shines a bright light on the centrality of the right to education of children with disabilities so that they are not left behind. Their chances to live up to their full potential will certainly be aided if they are able to exercise this most important right,” said Atty. Michael T. Tiu, who co-edited Children with Disabilities with Prof. Aguiling – Pangalangan.

Kafalah in Focus, meanwhile, discusses different alternative family arrangement such as adoption, foster care, and guardianship, and focused on a family arrangement that has not been discussed before in fora, the system of Kafalah of the Islamic Law. Prof. Leo D. Battad, the book’s editor, claimed that the work is the product of a trailblazing forum entitled Alternative Family Care Systems.

Dr. Cynthia Rose B. Bautista, Vice President for Academic Affairs, of the University of the Philippines, delivered the Opening Remarks in the Book Launching where she expressed hopes of further increasing the number of the University’s publications cited by scholarly works around the world as the University benchmarks itself with other top universities in Asia.

Commissioner Leah Tanodra – Armamento of the Commission of Human Rights, and Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary, Ambassador Eduardo E. Malaya III, delivered messages of congratulations and support. In her message, Commissioner Armamento said: “We salute the authors and editors of these publications. Rest assured that in upholding the rights of every child, the Commission of Human Rights will always be your partner. Let us create a better world for the generation to come.”

Meanwhile, Ambassador Malaya recounted that he witnessed firsthand the predicament of thousands of Filipino children deprived of access to public schools in his missions around South East Asia. He shared how government efforts have helped thousands of children gain basic education, although he expressed that “in the big picture, there are thousands more requiring education.” Ambassador Malaya added that, “these books are useful guides and valuable references on the subject, particularly for those in the government, and will inform our work for the years to come.”

Lastly, Assoc. Dean Concepcion L. Jardeleza, delivered the closing remarks and took the occasion to congratulate the IHR for having the most number of publications among the Institutes.