The Portland Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (PCHRP) is an organizing committee of Filipino immigrant youth, students, professionals, workers, and allies working together in solidarity to advance the national democratic movement of the Philippines in the United States through education, leadership development, and political action. Filipinos have been resisting the occupation of thei
r country for hundreds of years. The most recent and organized resistance began nearly 40 years ago and emerged as the National Democratic movement. The government response to this resistance has cost Filipinos their lives and resulted in human rights violations: over 900 extrajudicial political killings, over 250 abduction, force disappearance, and acts of torture. Individuals working with student groups and other organizations, concerned about the human rights situation in the Philippines had been meeting regularly since 2003. Our members have a combined history of 40 years of activism around Philippine issues! This interest crystallized in September 2005, when PCHRP was formed upon the return of one of the individuals from the fact-finding International Solidarity Mission to Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac, Philippines where 14 sugarcane farm workers were killed during a violent disbursement by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Hacienda Luisita farm workers organized a strike in response to the failed attempts of labor negotiations between the unions and the sugar cane factory owners. In Portland, PCHRP serves as an outlet for local, national, and international action alerts, media updates, and general information related to human rights violations against Filipinos in the Philippines and U.S. PCHRP organizers lead political education discussions, films, guest speakers, panels, and vigils in response to bring attention to the worsening conditions of Filipinos in Portland, the U.S. Major Accomplishments
PCHRP has organized local events which include educational discussions, vigils, a letter writing campaign to U.S. Congress, email action alerts and press releases informing our members, allies and greater Portland community of the situation of Filipinos in the U.S. We have organized, coordinated, and sponsored a series of educational and political events with Portland State University and Portland Community College which include the Anniversary of Martial Law in the Philippines Panel presentation, guest lecture with Dr. Peter Chua on Mobilizing Filipino Immigrants, and the “Stop the Killings” hip hop show with Filipino Cultural Artists Kiwi and Geo of the People’s Power Tour to raise awareness of the human rights violations in the Philippines. Moreover, PCHRP members and allies are active in local rallies which include the annual Anti-War and May Day March. Our activism includes guest speaking and marching at the rally against Portland’s largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid, and the anti-Neo N**i protest. Lastly, we have been featured in local media including The Militant Newspaper, The Asian Reporter Newspaper, and the online magazine Colors of Influence.
