The Supreme Court (SC) has tapped four government agencies that render services to the poor and the underprivileged sectors in the enforcement of free legal aid services to those who cannot afford adequate legal representation.

Under the United Legal Aid Service (ULAS), covered lawyers must render at least 60 hours of free legal services every three years.

These services include representation in courts or quasi-judicial bodies, legal counseling, drafting of legal documents, developmental legal assistance, participation in legal outreach programs, and notarization of documents.

The SC signed last Tuesday, March 3, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Commission on Human Rights, the National Anti-Poverty Commission, the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said the four agencies “stand at the forefront of service to our most vulnerable sector.”

“By working together -- strengthening referrals, sharing information, and coordinating outreach -- we multiply our capacity to make justice real,” Gesmundo also said.

The four agencies will coordinate with the ULAS Office (ULASO) in identifying and referring individuals who may be qualified as beneficiaries of free legal services.

The signing of the MOA was done during the launch of the Phase 1 of the ULAS portal, a centralized digital platform that will streamline lawyers’ reports and compliance with the mandatory delivery of free legal services to poor and underprivileged Filipinos.

The SC said that ULAS is anchored on Article III, Section 11 of the Constitution which guarantees free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies, and ensures that adequate legal assistance should not be denied to anyone by reason of poverty.

The Phase 1 of the ULAS portal includes the verification of registered organizations, the submission by registered organizations of their intent to aggregate or “pool” their compliance, and the accreditation of legal outreach programs and legal aid missions.

It said that registration in the ULAS portal will include secure authentication, account management, and profile setup.

It also said the portal features instructional videos to navigate the Portal, and insights and best practices from lawyers on how to comply effectively with the ULAS requirement.

SC Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, chairperson of the ULAS board, said the additional features in the portal, such as the logging of legal aid services rendered and the submission of applications for or attestations of exclusion, will be launched in later phases of development within this year.

The SC said that for more information on ULAS, the public may visit the ULAS Microsite at the SC website -- https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/.

Also, in his message during the launch of the ULAS portal, Chief Justice Gesmundo said: “Access to justice remains one of the most pressing challenges confronting our legal system. Too many of our people face legal concerns, yet only a small percentage are able to obtain proper assistance. Financial constraints, lack of information, and structural barriers continue to prevent vulnerable sectors from seeking or receiving legal representation.”

He stressed that these realities demand more than adjudication; they require systemic reform.

Thus, he pointed out that under the SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), “we placed access to justice at the very center of reform.”

He said that ULAS is not an isolated project but “a part of a deliberate effort to modernize, harmonize, and strengthen the delivery of legal aid across the country.”

To all lawyers in the country, the Chief Justice said: “The implementation of ULAS reflects the responsibility inherent in our profession. The practice of law carries with it a continuing obligation to support the development of a just and equitable legal system. By institutionalizing pro bono service within a unified and manageable framework, we aim to make this responsibility both sustainable and impactful.”

At the same time, Gesmundo paid tribute to the support of the SC’s development partners -- the Australian Government and The Asia Foundation.

He added: “If we succeed, it will not simply be because we launched a portal or signed an agreement. It will be because somewhere, a family received guidance they could not otherwise afford, an indigenous community found representation, a worker understood his rights, and someone who felt powerless discovered that the law, too, stood on their side.”