AGRARIAN LEGAL SERVICES

One of the Major Final Outputs of DAR is the Agrarian Legal Services (ALS). This is
complemented with two programs, namely: agrarian legal assistance (ALA) under
the Bureau of Agrarian Legal Assistance (BALA) and adjudication of agrarian cases
under the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB).

Under RA 6657, DAR is vested with the primary jurisdiction to determine and
adjudicate reform matters and to extend free legal assistance to farmer-beneficiaries
affected by agrarian cases. The delivery of agrarian justice has two features: the
Adjudication of Cases and Agrarian Legal Assistance.

Agrarian legal assistance is comprised of resolution of agrarian law implementation

(ALI) cases, ARB representation before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies, and
mediation and conciliation. On the other hand, Adjudication of Cases involves the
resolution of cases by the DAR Adjudication Board (DARAB) and any of its salas.

There are three types of cases under this program namely: judicial or court cases,
quasi-judicial, and cases related to agrarian law implementation (ALI). The first two
types involve representation of farmers by DAR lawyers before the regular courts and
DAR Adjudication Board, respectively. The third type involves the administrative
rendering of decision on exemption, conversion and retention.

The DAR at present utilizes more aggressive alternative dispute resolution

techniques in mediation to reduce conflicts maturing into court cases. The general
objective is to persuade the contending parties to settle their disputes amicably or out
of court before the DAR.

ALS is divided into two (2) components: Legal Advisory and Enforcement.

Legal Advisory involves legal services provided to agrarian reform beneficiaries

(ARB) and landowner clients such as mediation and representation in judicial and
quasi judicial courts. As per measurement for the agency’s final scorecards on this
MFO, clients who rate the legal service as good or better and requests for legal
services which are responded to within 15 days are included.

Enforcement, on the other hand, includes: agrarian cases acted upon for adjudication
or resolution; and resolution of annual Agrarian Law Implementation (ALI)
caseloads. Adjudication within 3 months of agrarian related cases is assessed under
this MFO.