2 Benguet b’gay Lupons win top national awards

By Isabelo M. Cosalan Sr.

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Two barangays in Benguet that consistently won municipal, provincial and regional awards in resolving  conflicts through the Lupon Tagapamayapa (“Lupon”), were top national awardees last week.

The Lupon Tagapamayapa of Barangay Tuding of Itogon town placed second in the 2015 national search for best performing Lupon in the First to Third Class Municipality Category, while Barangay Ambassador of Tublay placed third.

This was the result of the evaluation by the National Board of Judges and the Secretariat of the Lupon Tagapamayapa Incentive Awards National Committee of their on-site validation conducted Dec. 8 and 9, 2015.

Punong Barangay Martin D. Chavez Jr. received the Second Place plaque for the “Lupon” of Tuding, Itogon on October 27, 2016 at the Sofitel Hotel, Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Itogon Mayor Victorino T. Palangdan, MLGOO Cesar U. Ating, Lupon Secretary Krystine Joy P. Taguda, along with Lupon and Sanggunian members witnessed the awarding.

The Lupon Tagapamayapa of the Katarungan Pambarangay Law under RA 7160 is mandated to amicably resolve personal conflicts in the barangays through mediation, arbitration and conciliation.

No personal dispute or conflict within the authority of the “Lupon” may go to a regular court of law without a “certification to file action” issued by the “Lupon”. It was noted that all barangays have “Lupons” and that if all function well, better justice may be achieved.

Except for 2012 when Barangay Tinongdan, Itogon was nominated to the national awards, Barangay Tuding was consistently the municipal, provincial, regional and national nominee for “Best Performing Lupon” for First to Third Class Municipality Category from 2010 to 2016.