The Barangay Justice Service System (BJSS) is the flagship project of GRF’s Justice and Peace Program. It promotes governance and rule of law through community participation and citizen empowerment at the local level. The objective is to promote appropriate dispute resolution and greater access to justice, particularly for the disadvantaged.

The BJSS model bridges the gap between communities, the formal justice system and alternative systems of dispute resolution. GRF mobilizes and trains citizen volunteers called Barangay Justice Advocates (BJAs) on mediation, peace counseling, and various aspects of the law. They facilitate conflict-resolution and encourage the use of the community justice system or the Katarungang Pambarangay.

2nd Barangay Justice Advocates National Congress with Chief Justice Reynato Puno & Senator Mar Roxas as guest of honor, Davao City

With a grant from US Agency for International Development (USAID), the project was first implemented in 65 barangays in Panay and Guimaras Islands in September 1998. It then expanded to selected provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in partnership with schools and universities that were part of the Consortium of Centers for Local Governance (CCLG).

With its success, the BJSS project further expanded its coverage to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The expanded BJSS focuses on the promotion of community peace using culture-based modes of dispute resolution including the application of Shari’a in the operationalization of the Katarungang Pambarangay Law.

The BJSS Impact Assessment Study in 2005 showed that the Project has achieved its goal of promoting family and community peace through a reduction in violent conflicts. Based on the total number of disputes recorded, more than 83% had been settled by the BJAs.

The need to ensure sustainability of BJSS initiatives and an expressed need of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) for conflict management assistance in conflict-affected areas strengthened the resolve of GRF to continue the partnership to sustain peace gains in Mindanao through the Mindanao In Peace Project (MINPeace). The project started in October 2007.

The overall goal of the MINPeace Project is to promote good governance and increase access to justice in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao by engaging the BDA in pro-active conflict management to reduce violent conflicts in the Bangsamoro areas. The Project covers 150 barangays in the six provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte, Basilan, and Davao Oriental. Funded by USAID, it intends to complement the pilot economic development activities with initiatives in community peace-building to sustain the overall development of the area.

With DILG, DOJ and PMO-Supreme Court as partners, the BJSS Model has been recognized as a breakthrough in local governance and a major initiative of the Philippine justice system. The uniqueness of the project has encouraged other Asian countries to study the BJSS as a model for community justice system.

The BJSS expansion seeks to fully realize the benefits of a responsive and effective community justice system and ultimately, to help achieve peace and economic development.

• To date, there are more than 10,000 BJAs in Lanao del Sur, Marawi City, Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Compostela Valley, Davao Sur, Davao Norte, Capiz, Antique , Iloilo, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Bohol, Bulacan, and Camarines Sur.

• Areas covered: More than 2,000 barangays, 1,300 in the ARMM Region, and 700 in Visayas and Mindanao, Bulacan and Camarines Sur.

• As of December 2007, more than 5,000 cases were resolved by BJAs, either by assisting in the settlement or by referral to other dispute resolution service providers.

• An independent Impact Evaluation Study found that the BJSS

  • Reduced violent conflicts in the target areas;

  • Helped prevent escalation of conflicts;

  • the role of women as mediators of disputes.

• Municipal BJA Organizations (MBJAOs) have been organized in more than 90 municipalities. They are tasked to ensure project sustainability and undertake peace reform advocacy, handle case monitoring and provide the information link between barangays and regional centers.

• Organized BJA Performance Monitoring System which tracks all data on dispute settlement and/or resolution participated in by BJAs.