BALAOD Mindanaw Year-end Report 2006
On our 6th year, we deepened our partnership with more than 102 barangays in Mindanao involved in paralegal formation. Paralegal committees comprising at least 6-8 members actively worked with their organizations to resolve access to justice issues confronting them. In particular, more than 3,000 hectares were distributed benefiting more than 500 beneficiaries and households. This covers advocacy work in coverage and installation under the agrarian reform and recognition of ancestral domain programs as well as resolution of cases pending in courts and other quasi-judicial and administrative agencies. Understanding that using the laws as tools is not a short term initiative towards access to justice, the paralegals continue to strengthen and capacitate their members to enhance their abilities to use these tools. By the end of 2006, more than 20 cases pending in judicial and quasi judicial courts are being addressed involving CADT application, coverage of expired PLAs, ejectment and harassment suits and criminal cases resulting from agrarian reform program implementation. In the process, we are at the same time harnessing our competencies to be able to work effectively with them including enhancement of our skills on peace building as well as gender mainstreaming.
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