Calamba, Laguna has now been designated as the seventh Justice Zone, a European Union (EU) backed program that aims to bring better sector-wide coordination, efficient and effective delivery of justice to the entire province.
The launch of Calamba, Laguna as the newest justice zone in the country, and the first to be created in 2021 was approved by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) through a joint resolution signed on March 11, 2021 at the historic Manila Hotel.
The Justice Zone is a geographic area where the local justice sector agencies identify common problems and generate solutions to address them. Through an agreed structure and two-way communication with the JSCC, testing of innovative solutions can take place within the Justice Zone and successful interventions can be translated into policy decisions by the Council.
The project launch was assisted by the Governance in Justice (GOJUST II) program with funding support from the EU.
GOJUST facilitates communication, coordination, and cooperation in the justice sector through the JSCC at the national level and the rollout of the Justice Zones at the local level as the main mechanism for embarking on a long-term sustainable reform agenda.
EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron commended the cooperation of the three principals of the Supreme Court, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Justice for their continued leadership towards improving the coordination of the justice sector in the country.
“We are together with the Philippine government in reaffirming the respect for democratic principles, human rights, and the rule of law that are an essential part of our Partnership and Cooperation Agreement,” Véron said during the launch Wednesday, March 17.
The selection of Calamba as the newest Justice Zone was recommended by the Regional Development Council of the National Economic Development Authority following extensive consultations with the justice sector agencies in Region 4A.
The other justice zones that were initially set up before Calamba were in Quezon City, Cebu, Davao, Angeles, Bacolod, and Naga.
According to the JSCC, the expansion of justice zones will invigorate coordination at the local level and translate the successes of these initiatives into national policy.