Human rights organizations from across the Philippines have launched Kalasag: Advocates’ Hub for Human Rights, Safety, and Protection, a national advocacy hub designed to protect human rights defenders (HRDs) amid escalating threats and attacks.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) in partnership with a broad civil society coalition, aims to serve as a “collective shield” for activists, journalists, lawyers, environmental defenders, and other at-risk individuals; Kalasag is the Filipino word for “shield.”
Kalasag seeks to provide trainings in practical safety, emergency response, documentation of abuses, and policy advocacy to reinforce the protection and collective capacity of human rights defenders (HRDs) nationwide.
The launch event was held on April 9, 2026, at the Cocoon Boutique Hotel in Diliman, Quezon City. Edgar Cabalitan, Kalasag lead organizer and PAHRA Secretary General, emphasized the urgent need for coordinated protection: “From women and children’s rights defenders to farmers, Indigenous communities, and environmental advocates, those who defend justice face harassment, judicial threats, and even violence. KALASAG is a concrete step to ensure no defender stands alone.”
Organizers highlighted the continuing risks faced by HRD, such as those arrested during peaceful protests, community leaders targeted by strategic lawsuits, and Indigenous communities resisting destructive mining operations.
A recent report from a United Nations committee expert revealed that 305 HRD (based on AMP documentation) have been killed in the Philippines since the last UN review, placing the country among the most dangerous globally for such work.
The Kalasag hub also announced the establishment of Human Rights Security Hubs in key cities and provinces to provide immediate support to defenders under threat.
Photo © PAHRA