‘Abogados to the barrio’ offer free legal assistance to Kinatarcan Is. residents

Cheryl Pamela Condat, IBP-Cebu Chapter president, leads the free legal assistance and medical mission for Kinatarcan Island residents. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of 181 individuals from Kinatarcan Island availed of the various services during the free legal aid and medical mission that was organized by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Cebu chapter and Budjong Health Missions on Saturday, June 18, 2022.

Cheryl Pamela Condat, IBP-Cebu chapter president, said they organize legal aid  projects for residents of underserved communities in Cebu, including those who are in Kinatarcan Island, an islet that is part of Sta. Fe town in Bantayan Island.

These legal aid projects, she said, cover free legal services, such as free execution of affidavit of delayed registration, affidavit of paternity, affidavit of correction and affidavit of legitimation. They also attend to  Local Civil Registrar (LCR) concerns, among others.

“181 atong listed beneficiaries. Each one have more than one document made. Naay uban abot pa og 5 documents kay five children,” she told CDN Digital.

Contributed photo

The IBP-Cebu legal aid last Saturday was held at the Bitoon Barangay Gym in the Kinatarcan Island from 1 p.m to 5:30 p.m, though, Condat said, some of the services started as early as 9 a.m since some of their member-lawyers were already in the venue in the morning, as they accompanied the medical team of the Budjong Health Missions.

The health mission covered Operation Tuli and Operation Mata.  They also gave free eyeglasses to island residents.

Condat said Saturday’s activity was already the second time that IBP-Cebu partnered with the Budjong Health Missions, and the next one will be held on July 8, 2022 in Balamban, Cebu.

“A total of 44 lawyers were present last Saturday. They are called Abogados to the Barrios similar to the Doctor to the Barrios of DOH. This province-wide legal aid is with the goal of making IBP relevant to the community through genuine services rendered on a consistent basis,” she said.

contributed photo

Condat also noted that about 95 percent of the volunteer-lawyers were passers of the “Best Bar Ever Examinations” held last February 2022.

Lawyer Irene Ann Caballes, one of the IBP-Cebu officers, for her part, said they served their last client at past 9 p.m.

“The following morning, 3 clients sought us out at where we stayed. Our sole notary public Kevin Pedrano Palacio (whom we call superhuman sa pag notaryo sa tanan affidavits) also get summoned by an islander as well na magpahabol og notaryo,” she said in a social media post.

“Finally, naay variety kay one of the clients nga nihabol this morning is for spousal and parental support,” she added.

Condat then thanked their partners for the initiative, including the local government unit of the Kinatarcan Island, the PAO lawyers and the Cebu Lady Lawyers Association, Inc., among others.

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