BANGUED, Abra (PIA) – The zero-backlog program of the Department of Agrarian Reform resulted in no pending agrarian cases in the Cordillera region.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas media forum, DAR-CAR Assistant Regional Director for Operations Nelson Palaris and Regional Agrarian Reform Adjudicator Estrelita Briones reported that for the past two years, the DAR-Cordillera recorded zero pending cases on agrarian legal assistance, agrarian law implementation, and in the adjudication and settlement of agrarian cases, disputes, or controversies.
“Etong zero backlog sa ating mga kasong hinahawakan is aligned with the instruction of Secretary Conrado Estrella II na kailangan lahat ng cases ay mag-zero backlog. Last year, nag-hire po ang DAR ng mahigit isang daang abogado just to help all DAR offices in the country to come up with a zero backlog sa kanilang mga kasong hinahawakan,” Palaris shared.
From 2022 to 2023, DAR-CAR was able to resolve a total of 5,844 cases on agrarian reform law implementation and 1, 847 adjudication and settlement of agrarian cases, disputes, and controversies.
“Kung ano yung na-receive namin during the year, naa-accomplish din namin siya at the end of the year so that no pending cases tayo. Under the 2021 DARAB rules, we have to decide on the cases within 30 days from the date na submitted for resolution,” Briones said.
She added that in the Cordillera, indigenous or traditional conflict resolution and mediation practices play key roles in fast-tracking the resolution of cases, especially among agrarian reform beneficiaries.
“Pinu-push talaga natin yung aggressive use of alternative dispute resolution para hindi na siya maging adversarial, naayos na siya sa baba. May mga elders tayo na sila ang nag-aayos sa baba and then kapag hindi nare-resolve sa barangay level, umaakyat siya sa Legal,” she bared.
DAR-Cordillera has consistently received awards for its zero backlog accomplishment, and is among the regional offices to record no pending cases. (JJPM-PIA CAR, Abra)
