DILG honoring outstanding barangay peacemakers

The country's barangay or village mediators nationwide will be feted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government with the Outstanding Lupong Tagapamayapa Award.

Village mediators are at the forefront of settling neighborhood disputes before they worsen and result in police and court cases.

The Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentive Awards 2023 or LTIA aims to recognize the lupons as mediation boards that adequately demonstrate the ability to judiciously and expeditiously resolve cases brought before them.

The lupons promote and implement the Katarungang Pambarangay.

"This is a clear manifestation that our justice system at the barangay level is working and vibrant and that our Lupons have been very effective in carrying their mandate of amicably settling disputes at the barangay level," Abalos pointed out.

The Lupon is composed of the Punong Barangay as chairperson and 10 and 20 community members that perform mediation, conciliation, or arbitration of local disputes.

The LTIA, which was started in 1982, was elevated to a Presidential Award by Executive Order 394, entitled "Establishing the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awards" in 1997.

The overall body in charge of the LTIA is the National Awards Committee composed of the DILG secretary as chairman.

They are joined by the national president of the Liga ng mga Barangay and representatives from the Supreme Court, National Peace and Order Council, and the private sector or civil society organization as members.

The criteria for judging are: Efficiency; creativity and resourcefulness; area or facility for KP activities; and financial or non-financial support, among others.

LTIA winners will receive trophies and a cash prize of P300,000 for the first place, P250,000 for the second place, and P200,000 for the third place.

The Hall of Fame awardees will each receive P300,000 and a trophy.

The LTIA awarding ceremonies will be held tomorrow, 11 December, at The Manila Hotel.