1.

Human Rights
Human rights, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, refers to norms
that aim to protect people from political, legal, and social abuses.

The United Nations (UN) defines human rights as universal and inalienable,
interdependent and indivisible, and equal and non-discriminatory.

 Universal and inalienable:

Human rights belong to all and cannot be taken away unless specific situations
call for it. However, the deprivation of a person's right is subject to due process.
 Interdependent and indivisible:
Whatever happens to even one right – fulfillment or violation – can directly affect
the others.
 Equal and non-discriminatory:
Human rights protect all people regardless of race, nationality, gender, religion,
and political leaning, among others. They should be respected without prejudice.

Human rights can also be classified under individual, collective, civil, political, economic
and social, and cultural.

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the
world, from birth until death. They apply regardless of where you are from, what you
believe or how you choose to live your life. They can never be taken away, although
they can sometimes be restricted – for example if a person breaks the law, or in the
interests of national security.

These basic rights are based on values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and
independence. But human rights are not just abstract concepts – they are defined and
protected by law.

Human rights are relevant to all of us, not just those who face repression or
mistreatment. They protect you in many areas of your day-to-day life.

Human rights are a vital component of most modern democracies. Human rights allow a
person to live with dignity and in peace, away from the abuses that can be inflicted by
abusive institutions or individuals.

2. Categories/Kinds: UNITED NATIONS

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Simplified Version
This simplified version of the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights has been created especially for young people.
1. We Are All Born Free & Equal. We are all born free. We all have our own thoughts
and ideas. We should all be treated in the same way.

2. Don’t Discriminate. These rights belong to everybody, whatever our differences.

3. The Right to Life. We all have the right to life, and to live in freedom and safety.

4. No Slavery. Nobody has any right to make us a slave. We cannot make anyone our
slave.

5. No Torture. Nobody has any right to hurt us or to torture us.

6. You Have Rights No Matter Where You Go. I am a person just like you!

7. We’re All Equal Before the Law. The law is the same for everyone. It must treat us
all fairly.

8. Your Human Rights Are Protected by Law. We can all ask for the law to help us
when we are not treated fairly.

9. No Unfair Detainment. Nobody has the right to put us in prison without good reason
and keep us there, or to send us away from our country.

10. The Right to Trial. If we are put on trial this should be in public. The people who try
us should not let anyone tell them what to do.

11. We’re Always Innocent Till Proven Guilty. Nobody should be blamed for doing
something until it is proven. When people say we did a bad thing we have the right to
show it is not true.

12. The Right to Privacy. Nobody should try to harm our good name. Nobody has the
right to come into our home, open our letters, or bother us or our family without a good
reason.

13. Freedom to Move. We all have the right to go where we want in our own country
and to travel as we wish.

14. The Right to Seek a Safe Place to Live. If we are frightened of being badly treated
in our own country, we all have the right to run away to another country to be safe.

15. Right to a Nationality. We all have the right to belong to a country.

16. Marriage and Family. Every grown-up has the right to marry and have a family if
they want to. Men and women have the same rights when they are married, and when
they are separated.

17. The Right to Your Own Things. Everyone has the right to own things or share
them. Nobody should take our things from us without a good reason.
18. Freedom of Thought. We all have the right to believe in what we want to believe, to
have a religion, or to change it if we want.

19. Freedom of Expression. We all have the right to make up our own minds, to think
what we like, to say what we think, and to share our ideas with other people.

20. The Right to Public Assembly. We all have the right to meet our friends and to
work together in peace to defend our rights. Nobody can make us join a group if we
don’t want to.

21. The Right to Democracy. We all have the right to take part in the government of
our country. Every grown-up should be allowed to choose their own leaders.

22. Social Security. We all have the right to affordable housing, medicine, education,
and childcare, enough money to live on and medical help if we are ill or old.

23. Workers’ Rights. Every grown-up has the right to do a job, to a fair wage for their
work, and to join a trade union.

24. The Right to Play. We all have the right to rest from work and to relax.

25. Food and Shelter for All. We all have the right to a good life. Mothers and children,
people who are old, unemployed or disabled, and all people have the right to be cared
for.

26. The Right to Education. Education is a right. Primary school should be free. We
should learn about the United Nations and how to get on with others. Our parents can
choose what we learn.

27. Copyright. Copyright is a special law that protects one’s own artistic creations and
writings; others cannot make copies without permission. We all have the right to our
own way of life and to enjoy the good things that art, science and learning bring.

28. A Fair and Free World. There must be proper order so we can all enjoy rights and
freedoms in our own country and all over the world.

29. Responsibility. We have a duty to other people, and we should protect their rights
and freedoms.

30. No One Can Take Away Your Human Rights.

3. Human Rights in the Philippines

The rights of Filipinos can be found in Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Also
called the Bill of Rights, it includes 22 sections which declare a Filipino citizen’s rights
and privileges that the Constitution has to protect, no matter what.
Aside from various local laws, human rights in the Philippines are also guided by the
UN's International Bill of Human Rights – a consolidation of 3 legal documents including
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and
Cultural Rights(ICESCR).

As one of the signatories of these legal documents, the Philippines is obliged to

recognize and apply appropriate laws to ensure each right’s fulfillment.

This is not always the case, however, as the Philippine Constitution lacks explicit laws
to further cement specific human rights in the local context.

For example, the Right to Adequate Food may be included in the UNDR but it is not
explicitly indicated in the Philippine Constitution. Thus the government cannot be held
responsible if this is not attained.

The Philippines is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

(UDHR) drafted by the United Nations (UN) in the 1948. The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights was adopted, alongside the Genocide Convention and the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, by the United Nations in
response to the tragic and horrendous violations of human rights during the Second
World War. The United Nations Charter, a treaty, was created in order to define what
roles, powers, and duties the United Nations is allowed to practice in dealing
with international relations. Article I of the UN Charter states that the UN aims:
"To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic,
social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect
for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex,
language, or religion;"
According to the Charter, the jurisdiction of the United Nations is to provide cooperation
among the nations, and not act as an international government. The UN Charter paved
the way for the drafting of the UDHR. The UDHR aims to promote "universal respect for,
and the observance of, human rights." Thus, the UDHR is merely a declaration for each
signatory to adopt to its own political system. The significance of the UDHR as stated in
its Preamble is:
"Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest
importance for the full realization of this pledge."
As a signatory to the UDHR, the Philippines then declares an understanding and
adherence of these fundamental and inalienable rights to its population. The Philippines
has adhered to the UDHR through the Bill of Rights, and continued to create laws and
policies that cater to a specific sector, like the Labor Code and the Indigenous Peoples'
Rights.