Lupons want P3,000 more from City Hall

CEBU, Philippines - The League of Lupong Tagapamayapa in Cebu City is asking Mayor Michael Rama to give an additional P3,000 honorarium to each of the barangay mediators aside from the amount that they are receiving as a reward for their services.

 Daylinda Visande, the president of the League of Lupong Tagapamayapa in Cebu City, said the group’s officers have approved a resolution asking for additional honorarium for their members to help them with their needs.

In a letter that she sent to City Hall, Visande said she hopes the mayor will approve their request and he will allocate funds for it in the 2013 Annual Budget.

The City Council, during its regular meeting last Wednesday, did not tackle the issue because they are waiting for the action of the mayor.

The law provides that the mayor should submit the proposed annual budget before the City Council not later than October 16 of every year so that the city legislators can deliberate and approve it before the year ends.

The Cebu City government already gave honorariums to the Lupon members in 80 barangays of the city because there are barangays that cannot afford to give more than P1,000 honorarium to each of their Lupon.

The law provides that there should be at least 10 but not over 20 Lupon members in every barangay who may receive honorariums from the barangays if there is enough budget for it.

The Lupong Tagapamayapa is the barangay justice system whose members are tasked to hear conflicts involving their constituents in order to come up with a possible reconciliation, mediation and arbitration between the parties involved.

Cebu City Lupon members have been adjudged by Malacañang as the best Lupon nationwide in 2004 to 2006. The Lupon members of Barangay Adlawon, a mountain barangay of the city, were also declared the best Lupon nationwide last year.

Councilor Edgardo Labella said the Lupon members helped so much in decongesting the court dockets and as a result, the government saved millions in public funds. –/BRP (FREEMAN)