The Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) paid a visit to the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong on July 23, 2024. The AHRC delegation, together with its Hong Kong-based partner, the Pro Bono Hong Kong (PBHK), was received by the Head of Post Consul General Germinia Aguilar-Usudan, Vice Consul George Mariano Soriano, Labor Attache Melchor Dizon, and the Welfare Officer Zosima Henedina Daquigan at the 14/F United Centre Building, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
The AHRC delegation was represented by Atty. Teresa Kristel Banta (Project Manager), Atty. Katrina Isabela Blanco (AHRC Program Officer and Supervising Lawyer), Atty. Katrina Coscolluela (Project Officer), Danielle Anne Requilman (Project Assistant), Andre Lloyd Arellano and Nuel Angelo Sabate (AHRC Interns). PBHK, on the other hand, was represented by its Clinic Manager Chantal Chung, Case Officer Nelson Chu, and volunteer David Lee.
AHRC discussed with the Philippine Consulate its project with PBHK in developing a capacity-building and learning exchange program. Consul General Aguilar-Usudan commended AHRC’s initiative to capacitate PBHK, a non-profit organization working heavily on aiding legal issues of indigents in Hong Kong. She also encouraged the parties to help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong which are approximately around 220,000.
Finally, the consular officers, led by the Labor Attache Dizon, invited both AHRC and PBHK to conduct a joint free legal aid for OFW to be hosted by the Consulate. They expressed that most OFWs face numerous legal concerns not only from Philippine laws, but also Hong Kong laws. AHRC and PBHK representatives responded positively to the consulate’s request.
AHRC team was in Hong Kong from July 23-30, 2024 to conduct and facilitate a week-long capacity-building and learning exchange program with PBHK’s partners and law school interns. Among the topics facilitated in the learning exchange program were needs-assessment, client interviews, justice and human rights, alternative learning, popular education, and community building.
The AHRC and PBHK partnership is an ongoing collaboration which will hold a series of engagements and workshops between the two organizations and the communities where they mostly work with. This engagement is a reiteration of AHRC’s access to justice initiatives.