UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, applauds the Philippines’ approval on the third and final reading of a bill in the House of Representatives that seeks to protect, uphold, and fulfil the rights of internally displaced people (IDP).
The Philippines stands to become the first country in Southeast Asia to have a legal framework for the protection of the rights of the internally displaced once the bill is enacted into law. The law goes hand in hand with the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (UNGPID) which is a cornerstone in the protection of the rights of IDPs.
“We hope that the Senate will also champion the pending measures so that the bill can be passed into law. This is integral to sustaining the momentum of the efforts to provide durable solutions to the recurring and cyclical crisis of internal displacement,” said UNHCR Philippines Head of National Office Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo.
On 2 August 2023, HB 8269 was passed by the House of Representatives with a vote of 212-0, bringing the initiatives to provide long-term solutions for IDPs a step closer to becoming a law.
Currently there are more than 183,000 individuals that are internally displaced due to armed conflict, violence, and natural hazards in the Philippines.
The bill foresees that the primary duty and responsibility to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to IDPs to lie within the State, in close collaboration with local government authorities. It will also be the responsibility of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), local government hospitals, the LGUs and military and law enforcement agencies conducting operations and other appropriate agencies to provide immediate relief and humanitarian assistance to IDPs, families and communities.
The bill also ensures that the rights of IDPs, such as the freedom of movement, provision and access to basic necessities such as adequate food and nutrition, legal assistance, family unity, health and education shall be protected and upheld during, and after their displacement, regardless of whether they are inside or outside evacuation centers.
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ABOUT UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. We deliver life-saving assistance, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place called home where they can build a better future. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality by States. We work in over 130 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.
In the Philippines, UNHCR has maintained a presence for over 40 years, working on three pillars: providing durable solutions to refugees, ending and reducing statelessness, and empowering displaced families. UNHCR leads the Protection Cluster within the context of the Humanitarian Country Team and provides support to the Government-led Protection Cluster both at the national and sub-national levels. By working with local and national stakeholders, UNHCR advocates for the passage of an IDP protection law both at the national and BARMM level to identify, prevent, and respond to internal displacement in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. With a clear legislation framework, this will ensure that IDPs will be better protected, and their rights will be upheld.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Karen Cepeda
External Relations Associate
[email protected]
(02) 88172398
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