The Cordillera Career Development College – College of Law, through the CCDC Community Legal Aid Center (CLAC), actively deployed law student practitioners and supervising lawyers throughout the year to provide targeted legal education, upskilling, and advisory support to community stakeholders.
To address legal needs and governance gaps in Baguio City and Benguet, CCDC-CLAC executed a diverse portfolio of 35 documented extension activities, comprising 24 Free Legal Aid Missions and 11 Lectures, Seminars, and Capacity-Building Trainings. These interventions combined direct community legal service with structured capacity-building across multiple municipalities, including Baguio City, La Trinidad, Tuba, Kabayan, Tublay, Bokod, Kibungan, and Atok.
The free legal aid missions held across the province provided direct legal consultations, drafting of legal documents, and notarial services addressing various issues such as rights awareness especially for vulnerable groups (senior citizens, solo parents, women, children, and PWDs), land titling, property disputes, and civil status corrections. Clients included not only members of the community but also local public officials. These consultations provided lawmakers and local leaders with direct legal advice on complex community issues, including land titling procedures, boundary and land disputes and local ordinance and social welfare implementation.
The capacity-building seminars and workshops conducted in 2025 focused on capacity building of barangay officials (barangay chairman and the Lupon) in the settlement of disputes within the barangay under the Katarungang Pambarangay Law.
- Katarungang Pambarangay Training and Upskilling: CCDC-CLAC, together with the DILG, conducted a specialized capacity-building workshop on the Katarungang Pambarangay Law for all barangay officials and Lupon members of La Trinidad. These sessions were specifically designed to upskill local officials, barangay leaders, and adjudicators in grassroots dispute resolution, case settlement strategies, and administrative compliance under local governance frameworks.
- Constitutional Rights and Youth Legal Literacy: Educational seminars addressing foundational legislation were also conducted. These included Bill of Rights lectures for ROTC students at CCDC and the Law and You Legal Awareness Program lecture at Kiwas Integrated School, Tuba (focusing on children’s rights).
- Protection of Vulnerable Sectors and Child Rights: The center conducted specialized advocacy orientations on eliminating Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) and gender-based violence under the Safe Spaces Act, alongside educational forums explaining the rights and responsibilities of children under Philippine laws at Lubas Elementary School and CCDC.
Through these comprehensive legal aid missions, capacity-building programs, and policy-focused stakeholder engagements, CCDC-CLAC successfully advanced the core objectives of SDG 16 by providing free legal assistance, representation, and advisory services to underserved and marginalized populations who cannot otherwise afford legal counsel while simultaneously partnering with local lawmakers and community leaders to strengthen regional legal frameworks, promote human rights awareness, and ensure that local governance and community development are deeply informed and guided by the rule of law.
