City’s top Lupon Tagapamayapa awarded

Monday, October 31, 2011

City's top Lupon Tagapamayapa awarded

by Julie Fianza

BAGUIO CITY, Oct. 31 (PIA) -- Mayor Mauricio Domogan last week commended the city’s outstanding Lupong Tagapamayapa, and handed over their cash awards, after the city hall flag-raising ceremonies.

Punong Barangay Arturo Rapelo Jr. with barangay Imelda Village officials and lupon members proudly accepted his barangay’s prize of P30,000. His barangay Lupong Tagapamayapa is automatically an entry in the regional level, and their lupon records forwarded to the concerned office.

Irisan punong barangay Thomas Dumalti followed with P20,000 as cash incentive. Supportive barangay officials, lupon members, and constituents were also present during the ceremonies.

PB Jesusa Vizcaya received P15,000 for Loakan Proper barangay’s efforts in enforcing peace through mediation and arbitration; PB Roberto Medina the Lupong Tagapamayapa of Pacdal was given P10,000.

City officials present during the ceremonies joined the mayor in congratulating this year’s awardees.

Judges who carefully screened and evaluated submitted documents through panel interview were: Prosecutor Ruth Bernabe representing OIC City Prosecutor Gloria Agunos, Juliet Gumangan representing Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) city director Evelyn Trinidad, PC/Insp Tessie Sarmiento for Baguio City Police Office Director P/Sr. Supt. David Lacdan, Nerissa Bayan for Association of Barangay Council head Joel Alangsab, and Alberto Tomas and officer-in-charge Noel Mabutas of the City Mayor’s Office. The SSD staff acted as secretariat during the judging period.

Said board of judges also validated the Lupong Tagapamayapa records in the barangays through interviews and at the same time, supplemented these through lectures in basic mediation and arbitration. The screening, interviews and validation took six months, as the judges started making rounds in the barangays last May.

The Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentive Awards (LTIA) is being given in accordance to EO 394, series of 1997, which the city awards for lupon in the barangays who adhere to mediation and conciliation as to disputes within their areas of responsibility.

Accordingly, Lupong Tagapamayapa is a creation in the local government code for each barangay in order to “provide a forum for exchange of ideas on amicable settlement of disputes,” and where members “share observation and experience for the speedy resolution of disputes.”

The barangay lupon were judged as to their procedures in mediating over disputes, timely submission of reports, and maintenance of confidentiality of records. The disputes settled, quality of compliance as to what was agreed upon, creativity and resourcefulness employed in mediation, and ability of members to enforce agreement done was also looked into.

In an earlier report, it was learned that the lupon is credited for settling eighty percent (80%) barangay-based disputes. The rest were either forwarded to other offices, and some were given certificates to file court action. The big percentage of settlements without pursuing a court case saved the government more than P2B in 2010, records from the Bureau of Local Government confirm.

DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero himself credits unclogged courts due to Lupong Tagapamayapa settlements, within the barangays. *(PIA CAR/JF-PIO Baguio City)

Cabatuan.com - Kasimanwa.com - Austere Panadero