Barangay Katangawan is National Awardee for Best Lupong Tagapamayapa

The local government of General Santos City has once again added a feather to its cap with another achievement, this time by one of its 26 barangays.

In a faxed message from the National HQ of the Department of Interior and Local Government to the city hall, it was announced that Barangay Katangawan has just been declared the National Awardee in its search for the Best Lupong Tagapamayapa (Barangay Dispute-Mediation Council, Highly Urbanized Cities Category) for its Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Award (LTIA).

What, by the way is a Lupong Tagapamayapa?

Republic Act 7160 known as the Local Government Code of 1991, mandates in its Section 399 the creation in each barangay a Lupong Tagapamayapa.   It functions as a body for dispute settlement and conflict resolution among barangay constituents.

Before any case is filed in higher courts, the Lupong Tagapamayapa aims to patch up or solve any conflict arising from complaints logged in by any person on a barangay resident. By the amicable settlement of disputes, at the barangay level, the government is saving a lot on litigation costs which could have been incurred had these cases been filed at the proper courts.

Invited to the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awarding Ceremony at the Rizal Hall in Malacanang Palace on July 30, 2009, at 9:00 in the morning, are GenSan City Mayor Jun Acharon and Barangay Captain/Lupon Chairman Remie Herceda.  President GMA will confer the awards to the winners.  Barangay Katangawan and the rest of the winners bested more than 36,000 Lupong Tagapamayapa in cities and municipalities all over the country due to their exceptional implementation of the rules that govern the said council.

Other winners from the region are Barangay Palo, Tampakan (1st runner-up, 4th-6th Class Municipalities Category) and Barangay Pedro Colina, Cotabato City (2nd runner-up, Component Cities Category).

Meanwhile, Barangay Katangawan will receive a Presidential Trophy plus a cash prize of P125,000 from the DILG, Supreme Court and the Gerry Roxas Foundation. Wow!

To Mayor Jun and Kapitan Herceda, congratulations from all of us here at the GenSan News Online Mag!

The LTIA was established in 1997 as a means to institutionalize a system of granting economic benefits and other incentives to the Lupong Tagapamayapa that demonstrates exemplary performance in settling disputes at the grassroots level.

The performance and accomplishments of the lupons were evaluated by committees organized at the regional, provincial and municipal levels on the basis of a) efficiency of operations; b) effectiveness in securing the katarungang pambarangay objectives and c) creativity and resourcefulness of mediators.- from the Office of the President Website