DILG 10 LAUNCHES BOOK
ON CONFLICT-SENSITIVE KATARUNGANG PAMBARANGAY
Child-friendly, gender-responsive, and culture-sensitive Katarungang Pambarangay.
These are the features of the newly launched Katarungang Pambarangay Guidebook (The Regions 10 and 13 Experience), following a conflict-sensitive approach.
Rolled out on October 9, 2019, the launching oriented the participating punong barangays, lupon members, and SK chairpersons of Lanao del Norte and Bukidnon on the practical steps to interface the indigenous process of settling disputes with the mainstreamed KP process.
“We, in the DILG, together with the GIZ, have seen how critical the role of the lupong tagapamaya is in the implementation of the Katarungang Pambarangay Law,” Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 10 Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe said.
Considering this, the Regional Director emphasized the need to come up with a guidebook that would be sensitive to the culture and tradition of the Muslim and the Indigenous Peoples. At the same time, said material should also be gender-responsive and child-friendly.
“The DILG 10, as the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) Secretariat entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the GIZ COSERAM to develop a Katarungang Pambarangay that would be sensitive to cultures and traditions existing in Northern Mindanao,” RD Agabe explained.
The project is a replication of a similar partnership in Region 13 that produced an Enhanced Katarungang Pambarangay Manual duly interfaced with the Higaonon Customary Laws.
The same document is further enhanced in Region 10 with the interfacing of the Meranaw customary practices in settling disputes.
Making the government be felt
In line with the launching of the guidebook, the Regional Director challenged the barangay officials to make the government be felt in their respective areas by supporting the operationalization of Executive Order 70, also known as the “Whole-of-Nation Approach”.
“Insurgency problem still exists in our country because there are still those who claim that they could not feel the efficient government services in their areas. This is why I urge our barangay officials to perform better and ensure that government is there for their constituents,” RD Agabe said.
“Part of your responsibility is that there will be peace and order and development in your barangays,” he added.
Katarungang Pambarangay Law is an out-of-court settlement of conflict among community members facilitated by the Punong Barangays/Lupon Members, without the presence or interference of legal counsel. It is a tool for declogging court dockets and it provides access to service at a minimum cost to both government and the litigants which promotes thee speedy administration of justice.