BARANGAY Kauswagan is assured of a spot in the national level for the Search for Outstanding Lupong Tagapamaya after being hailed as the top barangay with the best conciliation body in the past eight years.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) City head Jane Docallos announced that Kauswagan, being the top awardee of the competition in the city level, has a spot in the top 3 awardees for this year's nationwide search.
The DILG has announced on Monday, September 24, this year's winners, with barangay Kauswagan as the winner, barangay Canitoan is 1st runner-up while barangay Camaman-an is 2nd runner-up.
Third place village gets P70,000; 2nd placer gets 90,000; while the grand winner will get an amount worth P110,000.
Some 12 more barangays joined the competition and bagged P10,000 each. The barangays include Nazareth, Gusa, Agusan, Bayanga, Patag, Baikingon, Tignapoloan, Bonbon, Bugo, Lapasan, barangay 26, and FS Catanico.
Kauswagan has been consistent in passing the following criteria to be recognized as the best lupon: efficiency in the Operations of the Lupong Tagapamayapa, effectiveness in attaining the Katarungang Pambarangay (KP) objectives, and creativity and resourcefulness in the administration of KP.
Barangay chairman Pedro Balite said its lupon has been handling cases well, such as ejectment, refund, land dispute, among others, filed by its residents.
Mayor Oscar Moreno said the lupong tagapamayapa should be present in all of the barangays as this not only promotes healthy relationships among villagers but also lessens the congestion of cases and addresses the backlog of cases in the courts.
Among the cases that can be handled by the lupong tagapamayapa are alarms and scandals; less serious physical injuries; slight physical injuries and maltreatment; unlawful arrest; light and grave coercion; simple seduction; issuing checks without sufficient funds; removal, sale or pledge of mortgaged property; and qualified trespass to dwelling (without use of violence and intimidation).
Created by virtue of Republic Act No. 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, the Lupong Tagapamayapa is composed of the punong barangay as chairman and 10 to 20 members who are residing or working in the barangay, are not otherwise expressly disqualified by law, and possessing integrity, impartiality, independence of mind, sense of fairness, and reputation for probity.