Perceived Effectiveness of Lupong Tagapamayapa’s Dispute Resolution Mechanism in Antipas, North Cotabato

Abstract

This study examined the perceived effectiveness of the Lupong Tagapamayapa’s dispute resolution mechanisms in Antipas, North Cotabato and determined whether perceptions differed according to respondents’ age, educational attainment, and gender. The study employed a quantitative descriptive-comparative research design and included 260 respondents from the municipality’s 13 barangays. The respondents included Lupong Tagapamayapa members and barangay officials directly involved in dispute resolution, as well as community constituents with previous experience of or familiarity with the Katarungang Pambarangay process. Participants were selected through purposive quota and convenience-quota sampling. Perceived effectiveness was assessed in terms of arbitration, conciliation, and mediation using a structured questionnaire, while frequencies, percentages, means, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and post hoc comparisons were used to analyze the data. The Lupong Tagapamayapa’s dispute resolution mechanisms obtained a Very High overall perceived-effectiveness rating (M = 4.55, SD = 0.518). Arbitration obtained the highest domain mean (M = 4.68), followed by mediation (M = 4.51) and conciliation (M = 4.46). A statistically significant difference was found when respondents were grouped according to age, F = 6.224, p = .001, with respondents aged 26–35 obtaining the highest mean rating (M = 4.71). No statistically significant differences were found according to educational attainment (p = .345) or gender (p = .556). The findings indicate that the respondents generally evaluated barangay-level dispute resolution favorably while also demonstrating that perceptions differed across age groups within the study sample.