An Assessment on the Lupong Tagapamayapa in Resolving Disputes in the Selected Barangays in Lucena City

The enhancement of the Lupong Tagapamayapa or Lupon program allowed the regulation of amicably settling disputes at the barangay level that aims to promote the speedy administration of justice, the decongestion of courts from cases, and to preserve and promote the Filipino culture of resolving disputes. This study uses a quantitative method to quantify the results to evaluate the roles and performance of the Lupon in resolving disputes in the Barangay. Moreover, the researchers used the descriptive method to analyze and interpret the gathered data accurately. The primary respondents of this study were the one hundred (100) selected community members through stratified random sampling from the five (5) chosen Barangays of Lucena City. The results show that Barangay Cotta has the highest number of cases filed before the Lupon, with the highest number of settled cases for 2021. However, Barangay Ibabang Iyam has the highest number of unsettled cases for 2021. Whereas, in terms of the perceived roles of the Lupon, the employment of different strategies of dispute resolution and the consistent practice of impartiality and confidentiality are the least perceived roles of the Lupong Tagapamayapa. Furthermore, in the assessment of the level of effectiveness of the Lupong Tagapamayapa in resolving disputes in the Barangay, the results show that the Lupon is highly effective in performing its duty as a community-based settlement mechanism. Relatively, it is recommended to establish a community-support program that enhances the awareness of the community about the Barangay Justice System, as well as develop their trust and confidence towards the lupon members in resolving their disputes which will eventually lead to a higher number of solved cases. It is also recommended that the Lupong Tagapapamaya perceive their roles as a community-based settlement mechanism through extensive trainings and seminars geared toward enhancing their knowledge and skills in resolving disputes.