THE legal aid sector has expressed strong support for a proposed Cebu City ordinance that seeks to institutionalize free legal services, describing it as a “vital step” toward making justice more inclusive and accessible at the grassroots.
Lawyer Mary Grace Hermosa Casano, deputy director of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines–National Center for Legal Aid (IBP-NCLA), lauded the measure during a public hearing Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
The proposed ordinance, titled “An ordinance institutionalizing the Cebu City Legal Aid Program (CCLAP), establishing the City Legal Aid Office and Barangay Legal Aid Desks, and providing for its pilot implementation, funding, and other purposes” seeks to bring justice services directly to communities through barangay-based legal aid desks.
Casano, who also heads the Cebu Lady Lawyers Association (Cella) and serves as IBP Cebu City’s executive director for legal aid, said the ordinance can bridge the gap between constitutional rights and lived realities particularly for indigent individuals, marginalized groups, and residents in far-flung areas.
“This initiative, if harmonized with national frameworks and grounded in community realities, could bring constitutional promises to life,” she said.
The ordinance will establish Barangay Legal Aid Desks (Blads) to provide walk-in consultations, referrals, and legal education in Cebu City’s communities. Casano said the program builds on the momentum of existing initiatives that already bring services closer to the grassroots.
Cebu’s legal aid, particularly Cebu city and Cella, has long partnered with local governments through programs such as Access to Justice Caravans, Humanity Behind Bars, Operation Tabang, and legal aid for indigenous peoples. Law clinics in universities, including the three operating at the University of San Carlos under the Clinical Legal Education Program (Clep), are also actively engaged in providing free legal services.
Cebu City, she added, is uniquely positioned for the ordinance’s rollout given the collaborative framework of the Cebu City Justice Zone (CCJZ), which already brings together the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), Department of Justice, IBP, Cella, law schools, and civil society organizations.
Casano also noted that with the Unified Legal Aid Service (Ulas) Rule mandating lawyers to render at least 60 hours of free legal service every three years, there is already a ready pool of volunteers who can sustain the program.
If approved, the ordinance will undergo a one-year pilot implementation in at least three barangays before being expanded citywide.
Councilor Mikel Rama, author of the measure, welcomed the legal community’s endorsement and assured that recommendations raised during the public hearing will be considered in crafting amendments.
Casano, however, said the ordinance’s success hinges on harmonization with existing policies and programs. Rather than viewing overlaps as barriers, she said these should be seen as opportunities to strengthen and expand access to justice.
She added that Cebu City has the chance to become a model Justice Zone by weaving together constitutional guarantees, national policies, and local innovations into a single, community-centered framework.
“Legal aid must be institutionalized, justice localized, and access to justice truly delivered,” Casano said. (CAV)