Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of human rights advocacy for marginalized communities in Barangay Greater Lagro, Novaliches, Quezon City. It emphasized the roles of the barangay and the Barangay Human Rights Action Center in promoting rights awareness, access to services and justice, and community empowerment. The center serves as a local mechanism for educating residents, providing assistance, and supporting marginalized individuals in asserting and protecting their rights. The study also considered the need for improved outreach to strengthen advocacy programs. A quantitative descriptive research design was employed. Purposive sampling was used to select 50 participants, comprising 25 members of marginalized communities, 5 representatives of the Barangay Human Rights Action Center, and 20 barangay officials. Data were collected using a validated survey questionnaire with immediate retrieval. Frequency, percentage distribution, and weighted mean were used to describe respondents’ perceptions of the effectiveness of human rights advocacy. Human rights advocacy in Barangay Greater Lagro was generally perceived as effective in raising awareness, improving accessibility, and empowering marginalized community members. Respondents, who were predominantly older adults, women, and college-educated individuals, demonstrated an understanding of their rights and reported access to services through the barangay justice system and the Barangay Human Rights Action Center. However, the findings indicated a need for clearer and more consistent information dissemination, simplified procedures, and stronger community outreach, particularly for the most marginalized residents. The findings indicate that human rights advocacy in Barangay Greater Lagro was generally effective in promoting awareness, improving access to services, and empowering marginalized communities. Continued program improvement and greater community participation are needed to strengthen human rights advocacy in the barangay and ensure that marginalized residents can benefit fully from available services.