ATTY. MARY GRACE HERMOSA CASANO

Executive Director for Legal Aid – IBP Cebu City Chapter and Cebu City Justice Zone

Atty. Grace is the Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ Most Outstanding Legal Aid Lawyer for 2019 to 2023 and a 2023 Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Gawad Penolohiya Jail Service Awardee.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of the Philippines and a Juris Doctor in Law from the University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance. Grace has worked at various legal services outfits, including labor and management relations, corporate law, estate management, PEZA accreditations, ISO compliance, intellectual property rights, and immigration assistance. She is a professor in the School of law and Governance of the University of San Carlos teaching Legal research and writing (thesis) and Clinical Legal Education.  She is also a culinary enthusiast and an excellent chef.

Despite her corporate and management background, Grace champions the legal aid initiatives for the IBP Cebu City Chapter, Cebu City Justice Zone (CCJZ), and Cebu Lawyers Association (CELLA) by ensuring access to justice for thousands of people, including Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL), Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL), underserved and unserved, marginalized groups, and vulnerable individuals, including Indigenous Peoples (IPs). She improved collaboration and cooperation in CCJZ through six gold-standard legal aid programs, including the Humanity Behind Bars: Integrated Jail Decongestion and Management Program, Integrated Developmental Legal Aid for Indigenous Peoples, and Colors for Second Chance Holistic Changes for CICL at Operation Second Chance.

Grace’s operational leadership has led to IBP Cebu City’s recognition as the top 3 humanitarian action partner in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Republic of the Philippines Office of the Vice President Pasidungog 2023 Service Awardee, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology 2023 Service Awardee, and BJMP 2023 Gawad Penolohiya Jail Service Awardee.

As a Reforms Director, Systems Creator, and Developer, she has developed over 10 eSystems recognized as the Most Innovative Online Practice, including the Online Legal Aid Portals and the flagship PDL Data Management System. With Atty. Grace’s utmost dedication to jail service, IBP Cebu City and CCJZ’s Humanity Behind Bars provided legal assistance to 2,763 PDL, reduced congestion rate at Cebu City Jail Male Dormitory from 1300% (2022) to 796% (Jun 2024) and at Cebu City Jail Female Dormitory from 414% (2022) to 234% (Jhn 2024); provided more than 10,000 legal, developmental, and humanitarian services (2022-2023); introduced digital infrastructure at CCJMD and CCJFD for Video Conference Hearings (VCH), E-dalaw, and Alternative Learning Systems (ALS) benefitting more than 8,869 PDL, trained more than 1500 PDL paralegals and jail officers (2022-present), and facilitated the release of 801 PDL from 2022 to present with a hundred more overstaying PDL processed for their immediate release.

Grace’s impact in broadening access to justice and  mproving the government’s service delivery to the public is astounding through consistent one to two weekly City-Wide Access to Justice Caravans. As of date, she has organized more tha  200 Caravans bringing  various service providers, 600 – 2000 services, and an average of 300 – 1500  beneficiaries per caravan, through the assistance of volunteer lawyers and more than 400 mentored Law Student Practitioners (LSPs), and  89 partner services providers.