For the first time, the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) brought its Internship Program to the island group of Mindanao. A total of twenty-four law students from 4 law schools – fifteen from Ateneo de Manila, and 3 each from Ateneo de Naga, St. Louis University Baguio, and University of Cebu – joined the program.
The program kicked off with a basic orientation seminar conducted last January 8 to 11, 2020 in Quezon City, which gave an overview of human rights and the various vulnerable and marginalized sectors of our society, highlighting the concept of alternative lawyering. It was followed by the students’ immersion in the municipalities of Dinagat, Cagdianao, Basilisa, Libjo, Tubajon, and Loreto in the Province of the Dinagat Islands from January 12 to 18. 4 AHRC lawyers and a staff member accompanied the student interns, together with ten student facilitators from Ateneo de Manila.
Ateneo Human Rights Center brought its Internship Program to the island group of Mindanao.
The Internship Program aims to expose law students to human rights advocacy and situation in the Philippines, with the goal of forming more human rights lawyers and advocates. Launched in 1987, it has produced hundreds of lawyers, a good number choosing to become alternative lawyers: one of whom is Ateneo Law alumna Atty. Arlene “Kaka” J. Bag-ao, who is now the governor of the Province of the Dinagat Islands.
Students pose with their host families.
Bringing the program to the Province of Dinagat Islands saw several programs and projects of AHRC coming together, supporting and complementing each other. The Internship Program, and to a large extent, bringing the interns to Dinagat Islands, is due to the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. While immersing in the different municipalities of Dinagat Islands, the interns were able to assist in gathering first-hand experience and information relevant to AHRC’s Access to Justice project together with the provincial government, which is supported by the Canada Fund. The legal empowerment activities include trainings for barangay officials, community forum on rights, and legal aid missions that are all being rolled out. The interns not only experienced living with people in the province during their immersion, but also conducted paralegal trainings and discussions about issues and challenges of the community. Some interns even assisted barangay leaders in drafting resolutions on issues relevant to the communities, such as the declaration of community watersheds. The participation of other partner law schools in the program was made possible due to the Access to Justice and Support for the Rule of Law Project (ACCESS) of the American Bar Association - Rule of Law Initiative.
The Internship Program aims to expose law students to human rights advocacy and situation in the Philippines.
Simultaneous with the immersion, the student facilitators and the AHRC lawyers and staff (1) worked with the Provincial Legal Office and the Office of the Provincial Governor to conduct a gender sensitivity training for the provincial government employees, (2) assisted senior high school students in drafting a provincial resolution regarding safe spaces in schools, (3) organized a talk about online sexual harassment and online responsibilities for the students of Dr. Ruben Edera Ecleo Senior Memorial National High School in San Jose, Province of the Dinagat Islands, and (4) went to different barangays in several municipalities as part of the ground work for the access to justice and legal empowerment program to learn more about the legal issues that confront the different communities.
The legal empowerment activities include trainings for barangay officials, community forum on rights, and legal aid missions.
Governor Kaka emphasized that the interns’ experience in the province should teach them two things: “they should be able to understand the situation of poverty in the province, including the numerous human rights issues; and know the sector (fishing, mining, farming, among others) they were assigned to and how their issues relate to the whole Philippines.”
The program ended with an evaluation at Biray-Biray Island in the province from January 18 to 20. Thereafter, everyone was treated to a whole day of island-hopping. Not only were the interns exposed to several issues that affect human rights, but they also experienced the natural beauty of the province.
The internship program continues its mission to form more law students towards a path of alternative lawyering and human rights advocacy. By living and working with the people of Dinagat Islands, it is hoped that the interns continue to be inspired and aspire to be lawyers for and with the people.
