UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, expressed optimism on the enactment of a rights-based law protecting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially following the support shown by local and regional leaders.
“In the face of intensifying impacts of climate change and conflict, a rights-based framework for the protection of IDPs will ensure that the Philippines will be ready to effectively respond to forced displacement. Local and regional leaders have recognized the wisdom of having such a law in place and UNHCR is very hopeful that we will soon see the enactment of the IDP bill,” said UNHCR Philippines Head of National Office Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo.
To date, the Regional Development Councils of Regions II, III, IVA, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII and Caraga, together with the Province of Southern Leyte, have issued resolutions supporting the IDP Bills in the 19th Congress. The latest was that of Region III which issued its resolution on 5 June 2024. Similarly, 12 municipalities in BARMM, particularly that of Maguindanao, Lanao Del Sur, and Sulu have also issued their ordinances on the protection of IDPs.
In 2023, the House Bill 8269 (Rights of Internally Displaced Persons bill) was passed in third and final reading by the House of Representatives. Counterpart versions await deliberation in the Senate.
There are four (4) versions filed in the Senate, authored by Senator Legarda (Senate Bill No. 1243), Senator Risa Hontiveros (Senate Bill No. 594), Senator Grace Poe (Senate Bill No. 870), and Senator Manuel Lito Lapid (Senate Bill No. 2488). These have been referred to the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
The Bangsamoro Parliament, through its Committees on Social Services and Development and Finance, Budget, and Management (CFBM) has approved the Committee-version of the enhanced and harmonized BARMM-level IDP bill in June. It will now be up for deliberation and approval on 2nd reading by the plenary.
Following the launch of an interactive photo exhibit on forced displacement and statelessness with UNHCR on 13 March, Senator Loren Legarda called on her colleagues to ensure that the IDP Bill is prioritized, “If passed, the Philippines may be the first in Southeast Asia to have a rights based IDP law. We need this guiding legal framework in place. It has been more than 19 years since the first bill on displacement was filed.”
A rights-based, IDP-focused law would save many lives from disruption in the Philippines where internal displacement can be a recurring and cyclical crisis, particularly in areas like Mindanao where an estimated 144,027 individuals are still displaced as of March 2024, according to data sourced by UNHCR from its government and CSO partners.
The IDP Bill seeks to provide a comprehensive legal framework that ensures their protection in all phases of displacement, guaranteeing the rights of IDPs in accordance with international standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, and imposing penalties against arbitrary internal displacement, and.
Under this measure, it is the State that would hold primary responsibility over addressing internal displacement, in accordance with the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Moreover, it also treats internal displacement as an issue that crosscuts through various thematic issues such as child protection, education, health, livelihood, gender, climate change, peace, and development among others, and seeks to hold duty bearers accountable.
“UNHCR vows to continue to support the efforts to push these measures forward both in the national government and in BARMM. We are really hopeful that after 19 long years, the Philippines can finally have its very own IDP law. But more than being the first in the region, we hope that everyone will see the wisdom of having this law in place. Because the people of the Philippines deserves no less than the vital life-saving protection the IDP Bill stands to provide,” said Valdeavilla-Gallardo.
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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. 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 providing durable solutions to refugees, ending and reducing statelessness, and empowering displaced families.
For more information, please contact:
Karen Cepeda
External Relations Associate
[email protected]
(02) 88172398
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