02/07/2026
IBP Pangasinan, Provincial Government ink Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen free legal aid through Guiconsulta Plus
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Pangasinan Chapter and the Provincial Government of Pangasinan formally strengthened their partnership in expanding access to free legal services through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Urduja House, Pangasinan Provincial Capitol.
Present during the signing ceremony were IBP Pangasinan Chapter President Atty. Jefferson T. Faculanan, IBP Pangasinan Chapter Vice President Atty. Terence M. Marata, Pangasinan Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Baby Ruth F. Torre, Third District Board Member Vici M. Ventanilla, and Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico III.
According to Atty. Torre, who also served as the former President of the IBP Pangasinan Chapter and former Governor of the IBP Central Luzon Region, the Memorandum of Understanding places the IBP Pangasinan Chapter under the Provincial Government’s Guiconsulta Plus Program, an expanded initiative that now includes free legal assistance alongside its existing healthcare services.
Under the partnership, volunteer lawyers from the IBP Pangasinan Chapter will provide free legal consultation and legal assistance to Pangasinenses. The program will likewise serve as another avenue for lawyers to fulfill their responsibilities under the Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS), which seeks to ensure that indigent and marginalized Filipinos have access to free and adequate legal representation.
IBP Pangasinan Chapter President Atty. Faculanan expressed his gratitude to the Provincial Government for welcoming the organization into the Guiconsulta Plus Program.
“We thank the Provincial Government of Pangasinan for opening its doors to the IBP Pangasinan Chapter. Through this partnership, we are now hand in hand in providing free legal consultation and legal services to our fellow Pangasinenses,” Faculanan said.
For his part, IBP Pangasinan Chapter Vice President Atty. Marata emphasized that the collaboration provides another meaningful platform for Pangasinan lawyers to strengthen their commitment to public service.
“This partnership gives Pangasinan lawyers another venue where we can continue to provide and further enhance free legal services to those who need them most,” Marata said.
Governor Guico, meanwhile, shared that the inclusion of legal assistance in Guiconsulta Plus stemmed from a long-standing proposal of Atty. Torre.
He explained that while the original Guiconsulta program primarily focused on healthcare services, the Provincial Government saw the need to broaden its reach by incorporating legal aid, thereby creating Guiconsulta Plus.
The governor noted that the initiative will not only benefit Pangasinenses seeking legal assistance but will also support lawyers covered by the Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS), who are required to render pro bono legal aid service every three years.
As part of the Provincial Government’s continuing support for the program, Governor Guico also proposed the establishment of an office for the IBP Pangasinan Chapter within the Capitol grounds. The office would serve as a dedicated venue where volunteer lawyers can regularly conduct free legal consultations and provide legal assistance to the public.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding marks a significant milestone in promoting access to justice in Pangasinan through a strengthened partnership between the Provincial Government and the IBP Pangasinan Chapter, reaffirming their shared commitment to making legal services more accessible to every Pangasinense.
✍🏻atty.CCV
