Commission on Human Rights

What Commission on Human Rights does

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) of the Philippines is an independent constitutional office established on May 5, 1987 by Executive Order No. 163 under Article XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, in response to the human rights abuses of the Martial Law era. CHR serves as the Philippines' National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), holding "A" status accreditation from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) under the UN Paris Principles — the highest tier of international recognition for NHRIs. The Commission investigates human rights violations involving civil and political rights, provides legal aid to indigent and vulnerable Filipinos, exercises visitorial authority over jails and detention facilities, monitors government compliance with international treaty obligations, and issues policy recommendations to Congress. Its primary customers are victims of human rights violations, persons deprived of liberty, marginalized and vulnerable populations (indigenous peoples, migrant workers, women, children, LGBTQIA+ persons, older persons), Philippine government agencies, human rights defenders, and civil society organizations — all served free of charge.

CHR's core technology platform is the Management Information System for Monitoring and Organizing (MISMO), a web-based portal that enables citizens to file complaints, request legal assistance, track case status, and access human rights services online. This is complemented by the Alisto! Alert Mechanism for media worker safety reporting, the Place of Deprivation of Liberty Visitation Information System for detention monitoring, the GBV Observatory as an external data hub, the Laya Calculator for prison sentence computation, the CHR General Administration and Financial Management System for internal operations, and external resources including the CHR E-Library, KIBO Digital Archive, and Human Rights Observatory on the Uwazi platform. The product portfolio is delivered through 17 regional offices across the Philippines, the Quezon City central headquarters, and the nationwide LaKarAn caravan program (Lakbay Karapatan Tungo sa Kamalayan).

CHR's business model is government appropriations funded entirely through annual allocations from the Philippine national budget, with all services provided free of charge to the public. The Commission generates no commercial revenue; its operational sustainability rests on its constitutional mandate, "A" status accreditation, and ongoing legislative appropriations. Strategic priorities for the 2022-2029 Sixth Commission under Chairperson Richard P. Palpal-latoc include digital transformation, international cooperation through GANHRI and the Asia Pacific Forum, and execution of the Strategic Plan 2023-2029 with external support from the GOJUST II Human Rights Project.

Name

Commission on Human Rights

Legal name

Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines

Website

https://chr.gov.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) of the Philippines is a constitutionally mandated National Human Rights Institution that investigates rights violations, provides legal aid, and monitors detention conditions for Filipino citizens and vulnerable populations. It operates the MISMO digital portal and 17 regional offices, funded by national government appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Human Rights Services

NAICS

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO)

Keywords

• Human rights services
• Complaint filing
• Legal assistance
• National human rights institution
• Rights monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Diliman

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriations: As a constitutional office created under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, CHR is funded through annual government appropriations from the national budget. Revenue comes from taxpayer funds allocated by Congress.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) of the Philippines is an independent constitutional office that investigates human rights violations involving civil and political rights, provides legal aid to the underprivileged, exercises visitorial powers over jails and detention facilities, issues human rights clearances and certifications, conducts research and education programs, and makes policy recommendations to Congress. Services are delivered free of charge through a central office in Quezon City, 17 regional offices, and digital platforms such as the MISMO portal.

Product overview

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) of the Philippines operates as a digital-first government agency offering a unified platform of human rights services through its Management Information System for Monitoring and Organizing (MISMO) as the central digital service portal. The core service portfolio includes human rights complaint filing, legal assistance and counseling, and CHR clearance issuance. Supporting digital platforms include the Alisto! Alert Mechanism for media worker safety reporting, the Place of Deprivation of Liberty Visitation Information System for detention monitoring, the Gender-Based Violence Observatory as an external GBV data hub, and the Laya Calculator for prison sentence computations. External resources include the CHR E-Library, KIBO Digital Archive, and Human Rights Observatory. The organization also conducts the National Inquiry on Climate Change (NICC) as a landmark human rights investigation initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Human Rights Complaint Filing Service Allows citizens to submit concerns about human rights violations, track case updates, and request human rights services through the MISMO digital portal.
• Legal Assistance and Counseling Service Provides legal guidance and counseling services to individuals seeking help with human rights concerns, delivered through assistance forms, the central office, and regional offices.
• CHR Clearance Issuance Service Enables individuals to apply for and receive official CHR Human Rights Clearance/Certification through a standardized application process.
• MISMO (Management Information System for Monitoring and Organizing) CHR's official digital portal that streamlines public access to key human rights services; enables individuals to file complaints, request legal assistance, track requests, and access information in a secure environment.
• Alisto! Alert Mechanism Online reporting platform where media workers nationwide can report incidents of attacks and threats, strengthening CHR's monitoring and response systems for media freedom and safety.
• Place of Deprivation of Liberty Visitation Information System System that streamlines data collection and monitoring of detention conditions, enabling evidence-based reporting on compliance with the Anti-Torture Act and international standards.
• Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Observatory Comprehensive hub offering data on international treaties, domestic laws, jurisprudence, and lived experiences of women, girls, and LGBTQI community members affected by gender-based violence.
• Laya Calculator Computation tool designed to provide accurate, consistent, and policy-aligned calculations of prison sentences, including sentence duration, release eligibility, and applicable credits.
• National Inquiry on Climate Change (NICC)

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Supreme Court of the PhilippinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026CHR partnered with the Supreme Court to expand the Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS), a landmark initiative ensuring indigent, disadvantaged, and vulnerable Filipinos receive adequate and timely legal assistance. Collaboration formalized during the Supreme Court's ULAS implementation.
• PANTAY (Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2025CHR through Chairperson Richard P. Palpal-latoc signed MOA with PANTAY as partners in promoting gender equality in schools under PANTAY's Project GEIS (Gender Equality in Schools).
• Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CHR is an "A" accredited member of GANHRI. Chairperson Richard P. Palpal-latoc serves as Chairperson of GANHRI Working Group on Business and Human Rights and Alternate Member of GANHRI Bureau. CHR participates in GANHRI annual meetings and conferences including sessions in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Department of Justice (DOJ) / Administrative Order No. 35coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 September 2020DOJ/CHR signed a Data Sharing Agreement vital to AO 35 cases involving extra-legal killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and other grave human rights violations. The agreement formalizes collaboration in investigating and addressing severe human rights abuses.
• Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2020CHR and DILG issued Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2020-01 ensuring gender-responsive interventions to COVID-19 and the New Normal, including prompt, effective, and survivor-centered response to all forms of gender-based violence.
• Komnas HAM (Indonesia) and SUHAKAM (Malaysia)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 July 2020Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines NHRIs signed MOU to strengthen efforts in addressing statelessness and protection of rights of stateless persons and persons at risk of statelessness in the region.
• Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHR serves as Forum Councilor in APF Governance Committee. The APF is a coalition of 25 National Human Rights Institutions in the Asia-Pacific region working to strengthen NHRIs and their independence.
• Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHR partnered with PTFoMS and Photojournalists' Center of the Philippines to convene NCR leg of Stakeholders' Dialogue on Media Safety, strengthening national framework on media safety.
• Philippine Campaign to Ban Landmines (PCBL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHR and PCBL jointly commemorate International Human Rights Day, collaborating on advocacy for landmine victims' rights and promotion of humanitarian law principles.
• Governance in Justice (GOJUST) II Human Rights ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGOJUST II Human Rights Component supports CHR through funding and technical assistance for Gender and Development (GAD) Ombud Programs, project documentation staff, project events staff, and development of GAD programs, activities and projects for CHR Strategic Plan 2023-2029.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chrcaraga13
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chrgovph

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commission on Human Rights