Erwin R. Puhawan

Erwin R. Puhawan is a labour and human rights defender from the Philippines, with a background in law and politics. He started as a student leader in 1997 as the national chairperson of Katipunan ng mga nak Ng Manggawang Pilipino (Children of working class Filipinos), and at the same time became the central committee member of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (Solidarity of Filipino Workers). In 2001, he became the Secretary General of the National Capital Region and 5th nominee for the 2013 party list election of Sanlakas, a multi-sector organization that advocates social justice with social progress. In 2005 he became an advocacy officer and paralegal for the Kanlungan Centre Foundation Inc. a centre for migrant workers and continuously provides voluntary legal services to migrant workers up to this date. He is also an active member of MFA’s Lawyers Beyond Borders. He continues to do voluntary work with other NGOs such as BALAY rehabilitation centre, as their legal officer handling cases of political detainees who are victims of torture and human rights violations, and with Asian Bridge as their community educator since 2008. He worked briefly in government service as the Chief of staff of the Vice Mayor’s office of the City of Malabon in the Philippines. Currently he is working with the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) as the coalition’s program coordinator for power, working on campaigns and rights to essential services and recently convened the Power to the People Coalition, a broad multi-sector group demanding the repeal of the energy law in the Philippines. In his free time he plays with his band Soulfull in rallies and benefit concerts.