The Hingatungan
Lupong Tagapamayapa (HILUTA)
By LOREN A. ANICIETE, DILG
Southern Leyte
March 12, 2013
SILAGO, Southern Leyte –
“Hiluta ang panagbangi sa barangay pinaagi sa mga pulong nga malumo.
Ang pagpakasala kalibutanon apan ang pagpasaylo langitnon.”
(Straighten out conflict in the barangay with soft words. To err is
human, to forgive divine.)
This has been the guiding
principle of the so-called Council of Elders or the Hingatungan Lupong
Tagapamayapa (HILUTA), an all-senior citizen group of lupon members
having their strong commitment and dedication to serve and help all
the Hingatungganons resolve their conflicts amicably. Indeed, wisdom
comes with old age.
According to the lupon
elders, it has been their traditional settlement technique to conduct
house visits, pre-hearing counselling, and the use of person in
authority to influence conflicting parties to settle amicably. To
them, their actions relative to KP are anchored on the main tenets and
time-honored traditions of pakikisama (community-spirit), utang na
loob (debt of gratitude) and kinship.
Through the
institutionalization of the strategy called “Kasulbaran sa Panagbangi
sa Barangay - Tinabangay mga Igsuon Approach (KPB-TIA)” more
innovations and creative activities have been developed through the
Lupong Tagapamayapa.
Continued advocacies in the
promotion of KP have also been maintained such as conduct of
“pulong-pulong sa purok” (where each lupon member is assigned in
his/her designated purok to conduct public awareness), allocating time
in every barangay assembly meetings for the “Lupon Time” (where Lupon
members advocate and promote KP) and of course mentoring other Lupon
members of other barangays and even other municipalities.
Moreover, with this kind of
strategy, the partnership of the Hingatungan Lupong Tagapamayapa (HILUTA)
with the Municipal Government of Silago, Provincial Government of
Southern Leyte, National Government Agencies (NGAs), Non-government
organizations (NGOs), People’s Organizations (POs), Religious sector,
academe, private sector and other CSOs has also been strengthened.
To date, the Lupong
Tagapamayapa of Barangay Hingatungan, Silago has garnered three (3)
top national honors in the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Award (LTIA),
i.e., national winner in the years 2001, 2007, and 2012.
The Hingatungan Lupon was
also a national runner-up in 2000, 2006, 2008, and 2011. HiLuTa’s
winning streak had started during the nurturing years of former MLGOO
Vicente Maraon then continued during the tenure of MLGOO Maria Fiona
Duran-Merquita and now under OIC-MLGOO Jhonel Ańavesa.
A consistent provincial and
regional winner in the LTIA 4th-6th class municipality category,
HILUTA lives on as Southern Leyte’s popular and enduring best
practice.