Land Management Bureau (LMB) joins the 4th National Alternative Dispute Resolution Convention (NADRC)
The Office of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (OADR) conducted its 4th National Alternative Dispute Resolution Convention (NADRC) on December 5, 2023 in Hilton Manila, New Port City, Pasay.
With the theme, “Emerging Trends and Innovations in Dispute Resolution,” participants of the said convention from both the public and private sectors shared their experiences and best practices on the use of ADR in dispute resolution.
In the topic “ADR Program in the Government”, various agencies, namely: Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) participated. Representing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Land Management Bureau (LMB) Director Emelyne Talabis, shared the institutionalization and implementation of ADR in DENR as a valuable tool in the resolution of land claims and conflicts cases. Asked on how ADR is being implemented in the DENR, Director Talabis highlighted significant policies, such as the creation of the ADR Committee and the guidelines in the conduct of ADR under DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2016-30, the adoption of ADR forms and its translation into major Philippine dialects, the celebration of ADR day under DENR Memorandum Circular (DMC) No. 2020-14, the guidelines in the conduct of virtual ADR under DAO No. 2021-01, the adoption of ADR Monitoring and Results System under DMC No. 2021-03, the establishment of Regional Pool of ADR Officers (PADROs), and the guidelines for the provision of awards and incentives to the ADR Officers (ADROs) under DMC 2023-04.
Emphasizing on how the ADR mechanism effectively declogged land case dockets in the Department, Director Talabis proudly shared that the training and accreditation of 428 ADROs since 2017 greatly contributed to the 44.14% success rate of ADR conducted from 2019 to 2022 in the resolution of land claims and conflicts cases.
She also expressed DENR’s commitment to thrive and make innovative policies to enhance the use of ADR in environmental disputes which will effectively facilitate the so-called “access to speedy and impartial justice through alternative means.”