CHRP Treaty Series introduction OBJECTIVES As the maiden issue of the CHRP Treaty Series Publication, the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines offers this ESCR Handbook to bring together issuances that facilitate a grounded and fruitful exchange on the elaboration of economic, social and cultural rights as human rights. The ESCR Handbook aims to be a practical tool in treaty reporting of the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights through the outputs produced in the engagement with the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights by the Philippines. It focuses on the concluding observations issued by the Committee on the 2nd - 4th Periodic reports of the Philippines and demonstrates the role of the Commission on Human Rights in its engagement reporting process to include the elaboration of the recommendations of the Committee in the treaty through a Mapping of State Responsibilities. This publication is envisaged to guide all dutyholders, government, civil society as well as national human rights institutions in highlighting the importance in heeding the recommendations of the UN Committee as it brings together references that will strike more genuine constructive dialogue in the promotion and protection of all human rights. It is essential that the dialogue begins at the country level. In showcasing the Philippine report, the handbook aims to assist other countries in applying the Philippine perspective in their country context. The handbook is designed to be a reference guide for the next reporting cycle. However, it is limited in the sense that due to space and cost constraints, this publication has not been able to include various submissions of participating Civil Society.? Be that as it may, the Commission has assisted the Non-Governmental Organization, PhilRights which represented the NGO Coalition that gathered information on the implementation and enjoyment of ESC rights and have continued to partner with the Commission in ensuring that the concluding observations have been disseminated at the National and community levels. The United Nations Development Program under its Fostering Democratic Governance Portfolio and through its project ‘Strengthening the Human Rights Infrastructure of the Philippines’ has been instrumental in enabling the Commission and its partners to directly engage with the Committee on Economic, Social And Cultura! Rights. 1 To access a copy of various submissions to the CESCR, cescrs41.htm>. access online at <http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cescr/