DENR-7's mediation center for land disputes now operational

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 Lands Management Services (LMS) Mediation Service Center is now fully operational and functional  following the composition of 18 accredited mediators, mostly land management officers and legal officers, with satellite units in the four provinces in Central Visayas.

The LMS Mediation Service Center is created to provide mechanisms to promote party autonomy in resolving public land-related disputes through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as espoused by Republic Act 9285 or Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2004 and Department Administrative Order  NO. 2005-18 or the Adoption of ADR Principles and Procedures in the Resolution of Appropriate Environment and Natural Resources Conflicts.

Alternative dispute resolution is a procedure used to resolve a dispute or controversy, other than by adjudication of a presiding judge of a court or an officer of a government agency, in which a neutral party participates to assist in the resolution of issues including arbitration, conciliation, early neutral evaluation, mini-trial or any combination thereof.

DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Maximo O. Dichoso said this system involves getting the parties concerned to a conference and is geared towards settling their differences with mutual reciprocal concessions in order to prevent long, tedious, expensive and burdensome court litigation.

Dichoso said that this measure is intended to enhance public confidence and good governance as the use of alternative dispute resolution is an important means to achieve a speedy and impartial justice and de-clog dockets of land cases.

He explained that the ADR follows a two-pronged strategy by faci-litating mutually acceptable solutions and minimizing the number of land cases raised for formal administrative or judicial resolution.

Dichoso said that for 2012, DENR-LMSMSC intends to investigate 124 land-related cases with Cebu having the most number of targets with 80, followed by Bohol and Negros Oriental with 20 each, and Siquijor with only four land cases to be investigated. 

Of the 124 cases to be investigated, 55 are aimed to be resolved by taking into account the mutually acceptable solution to be reached by the parties.

Assistant Ombudsman Virgina Palanca Santiago officiated the oath taking of the 18 mediators recently at the DENR-7 Training Hall in Banilad, Mandaue City. — (FREEMAN)