Events
Asserting People’s Rights Amid Impunity and Closing of Civic Space: A Roundtable Discussion on Repressive Bills and Alternatives
October 14, 2026As of July 2026, 222 human rights defenders have been charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (TFPSA). 138 of them have been acquitted. Even so, banks keep freezing accounts, services to communities stop, and development workers with their families carry the cost while cases drag on. Now Congress […]
CHR holds 2nd Roundtable Discussion on the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill
September 26, 2026QUEZON CITY, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) organized its second roundtable discussion on the Human Rights Defenders (HRD) Protection bill aiming to consult stakeholders from various sectors and advocacies for inputs into the draft legislation. The roundtable discussion is part of a series of consultations the Commission has conducted to develop a […]
[September 10, 2025] Roundtable discussion and presentation of UPR Indicators
September 10, 2025On Sept 10, 2025, the Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (UN OHCHR) held the second round of roundtable discussion and presentation of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) indicators. The event was joined by the members of the […]
[September 9, 2025] Roundtable discussion and presentation of UPR Indicators
September 9, 2025On Sept. 9, 2025, the Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (UN OHCHR) held a roundtable discussion and presentation of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) indicators. The UPR indicators were presented to various government agencies by civil society […]
[FEATURED EVENTS] Roundtable Discussion on Civic Spaces
September 8, 2025Last August 30, 2025, the Defend NGOs Alliance Eastern Visayas held a roundtable discussion (RTD) with media organizations and NGOs on shrinking civic spaces. The RTD highlighted the current struggles of humanitarian advocates and NGOs in the region with the misuse and abuse of financing terrorism laws against NGOs. The participating media organizations also shared […]
[FEATURED] WATCH: Mary Lawlor UNSR for Human Rights Defender’s opening remarks for Bugkos 2025
September 3, 2025WATCH: Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur for human rights defenders‘s opening remarks for Bugkos 2025 during World Humanitarian Day. Read the full transcript here: https://defendngoalliance.wixsite.com/…/solidarity… #DefendNGOs #StopTheAttacks #SDG16 #SDG17 #ReclaimCivicSpaces
[FEATURED EVENTS] Bugkos 2025
August 28, 2025On World Humanitarian Day 2025, civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-government organizations (NGOs) held a forum in Cebu City to Defend NGOs, assert civic spaces and people’s rights. The forum showcased NGOs contributions to development, empowerment of communities and the realization of the sustainable development goals from the grassroots in cooperation with development actors in […]
Push forward in the fight for sovereignty, social justice, and truly inclusive national development – CPDG
June 12, 2025As we commemorate the 127th anniversary of the Philippine independence this 12th of June, weare reminded that true freedom remains elusive for the Filipino people. More than a century has passed since the formal declaration of independence and yet the plightof the Filipino people continues. The broad influence of foreign-dictated economic policies and governance patterned […]
Cost of Compliance: Implications on People’s Rights
May 25, 2025ICYMI: The Council for People’s Development and Governance, in partnership with the Caucus of Development NGO Networks and the Defend NGOs Alliance, held a forum on May 20, 2025, during Open Government Week. The event, titled “Cost of Compliance: Implications on People’s Rights,” presented forensic evidence on the misuse of legal and regulatory mechanisms against […]
CSOs Decry Red-Tagging, Legal Harassment; Urge Government Accountability
May 21, 2025Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a critical role in rights-based, people-centered development, humanitarian aid, and community capacity-building. However, continued red-tagging and escalating legal harassment against NGOs and development workers threaten their existence and effectiveness. Under the Marcos Jr. administration, civic space remains restricted, adversely affecting access to services, socio-economic opportunities, and the right to development. […]