The government has urged village officials to strengthen programs relative to settling disputes in their communities.
“We are jumpstarting the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentive Awards (LTIA) 2023 with an enhanced criteria and guidelines to elevate the performance in the barangay. We wish to strengthen this in order to better promote Katarungang Pambarangay (KP) in the communities,” said Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.
“Our Lupong Tagapamayapa are our frontliners when it comes to maintaining peace and order at the grassroots. Which is why it is important that we update our policies on this every now and then,” he added.
The annual award is recognition of outstanding Lupon that include the Punong Barangay and 10 to 20 members assigned to solve cases referred to them and implement and disseminate KP in their area.
According to Abalos, this is the right time to update the assessment criteria to ensure even faster resolution of cases brought to the Lupon by the barangays. He added that the awarding policy was last amended in 2016.
“The review of our criteria and guidelines for LTIA is timely because new developments have emerged in the areas of peace and order, administration of justice, and local governance. Our policies must fit the current times and reality,” he said.
Through DILG Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2023-022, Abalos stated that one of the changes in the LTIA guidelines is the larger points in the settlement and award period criteria, where at least ten must be filed with the Board and the case resolved through mediation, conciliation and arbitration within the stipulated period.
Apart from this, he said, some of the important changes in the criteria are the recording of cases which must be a computer database and have searchable case information for cities and manual records and digital record filing in municipalities under of criteria that is systematic maintenance of records.
The DILG chief said the Lupon must also attend organized skills training, seminars, exchange visits led by their barangay to better shape their knowledge and skills in KP. In addition to this, the Board must submit a copy of the settlement or the arbitration award to the Court at the appointed time.
Boards that will be declared national winners and runners-up of LTIA will receive a cash incentive of up to 300,000 pesos and a trophy or plaque of recognition.
The LTIA was formed and established in 1982 and this year marks the 25th year of the implementation as a Presidential Award. Last year, the government hailed the 12 outstanding Lupon who were declared as winners for their effective mediation in the amicable settlement of disputes in their respective communities.