A total of 67 Lupon members from various barangays in Cadiz City and the municipality of Ilog completed a three-day Transformative Mediation Training-Workshop held June 18–20 at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City.
The training was spearheaded by the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental through the Provincial Planning and Development Office.
The group represents the second batch to complete the training. The first batch—comprising 45 Lupon members from the cities of Escalante and La Carlota—underwent the same program on May 19–21 this year.
Funded through the Provincial Peace and Order Fund (POF), the training emphasized the vital role of Lupon members as neutral third parties in conflict resolution. It introduced participants to essential communication skills and techniques such as active listening, probing, and paraphrasing, all reinforced through practical simulations.
Addressing the participants, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that “as the basic political unit, the barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities in the community—and as a forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, crystallized, and considered.”
Lacson also emphasized that the barangay’s role in nation-building cannot be overstated, underscoring its importance in achieving collective goals both provincially and nationally.
Beyond their executive functions, barangay officials, particularly Punong Barangays and Lupon members, play a crucial role as Lupong Tagapamayapa in amicably settling disputes. As frontline mediators, they hold the responsibility and opportunity to prevent conflicts from escalating into formal court cases.
“The Lupon must go beyond simply resolving disputes—it must work toward healing strained relationships within the community,” the governor said. “We seek not only the absence of conflict but, more importantly, the presence of harmony and understanding.”
The Province initiated the conduct of transformative training workshops for Punong Barangays in 2008 and has consistently implemented the program through the years. Barangay officials have expressed their appreciation for the training’s effectiveness in resolving community conflicts. ||
