Council to honor Mabolo for winning best lupon search

CEBU, Philippines - The officials of Barangay Mabolo will be honored on Wednesday by the Cebu City Council for bagging the annual search for Best Performing Lupon in Central Visayas.

Members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa in Mabolo bested the 79 other barangays in Cebu City as well as the rest of the barangays in the region to earn the distinction. Mabolo succeeded in convincing the members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awards (LTIA) that they are the best performing barangay justice system.

Councilor Edgardo Labella, trainer of all the Lupon members in the city, said the Katarungang Pambarangay is the country’s response to the continuing global search for indigenous mediation structures capable of resolving disputes within a community, and beyond the formal courts of justice.

Labella said Lupon members should be recognized because of their great efforts in helping the courts settle conflicts within the barangay level through mediation and conciliation.

Because of the significant contributions of the Lupons in the continuance of the Katarungang Pambarangay objectives, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had established the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awards which recognized exemplary performance of Lupons in resolving disputes in their respective communities.

Labella also suggested that because of the commendable performance of the Cebu City Lupons, it is but fitting to conduct an annual search for the outstanding lupon, to inspire them to devotedly discharge their duties and responsibilities in promoting justice, peace and order, and harmony at the barangay level.

Barangay Adlaon, a mountain barangay of Cebu City, was also adjudged best Lupon in the country last year. Lahug also earned similar distinction few years ago.

The members of the LTIA Search and Evaluation Committee conducted an evaluation and assessment of the 10 barangays which qualified for the said search on January 24- January 30, 2012.

The qualifiers include Barangays, Apas, Banilad, Basak San Nicolas, Binaliw, Budlaan, Kasambagan, Mabolo, Pahina Central and Parian.

Barangays Binaliw and Pahina Central won second and third prize, respectively. (FREEMAN)