From state violence to the privatization of social services, human rights issues have always been at the heart of stories that people need to understand. For years, Bulatlat has covered these issues—even back in the time when human rights narratives were largely ignored or underreported, and when public conversations were often shaped by those in power.

Right(s) Up, sounds like “write-up”, is Bulatlat’s new approach to bridge the gap between the urgency of news developments and in-depth analysis. Its goal is simple: make human rights concepts clear, accessible, and easy to understand. While Bulatlat is known for its in-depth reporting, this new format focuses on short-form context articles that break down the human rights angles of social issues so that everyone can be critically informed.

What does a Rights Up article look like?

Each one follows a simple structure:

• Context (Kontesto) – What’s happening?
• Human Rights (Karapatang Pantao) – What rights are at stake?
• Impacts on Communities (Epekto sa Komunidad) – What is the potential harm in the systemic scale?
• Rights-Holders (Apektadong Mamamayan) – Whose rights are violated?
• Duty-Bearer (Pamahalaan) – Who is responsible for upholding and protecting those rights?

From there, the article expands on key details: relevant human rights instruments, the situation of rights-holders—including their participation and empowerment—and how duty-bearers fulfill their obligations to ensure justice and accountability. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) categorizes violations in two main ways:

• Commission – where state actors are the direct perpetrators.
• Omission – where the government fails to act on any violation of human rights

The birth of this format is timely given today’s climate of widespread disinformation (which is oftentimes state-sponsored), where human rights concerns are often obscured and deliberately ignored. False narratives thrive when context is absent, reducing complex issues to soundbites that polarize rather than inform the public. By offering clear, factual, and accessible context, Right(s) Up equips our audiences to recognize disinformation, understand what is at stake, and engage in conversations grounded in truth rather than in fear or distortion.

Right(s) Up is about making these critical issues easier to grasp, giving people the tools to understand how human rights intersect with public policy and their everyday life. (RVO)