Reiteration of the Directive in OCA Circular No. 127-2021 Dated 13 October 2021 (Re: Prioritization of Cases and Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution)

February 17, 2022

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 37-2022

 

The importance of resorting to alternative dispute resolutions to expeditiously dispose cases cannot be emphasized enough as these effectively and efficiently use the time, effort and resources of both the courts and the litigants. As compared to cases under a regular litigation which may take years to resolve and drain the resources of the parties, cases under alternative dispute resolutions can be successfully resolved in a matter of months, saving time and costs for litigants. Moreover, the very nature of alternative dispute resolutions prevents hostility and preserves relationships as it allows the parties to compromise and settle their issues among themselves without undergoing trial.

On account of the above reasons, all judges of the first and second level courts are once again ENJOINED to favor and prioritize the use of mediation, judicial dispute resolution, and other forms of sanctioned alternative dispute resolutions in resolving cases, and be familiarized with the new rules on alternative dispute resolutions particularly the 2020 Guidelines for the Conduct of Court-Annexed Mediation (CAM) and Judicial Dispute Resolution (JDR) in Civil Cases.

For guidance and strict compliance.

(SGD.) RAUL BAUTISTA VILLANUEVADeputy Court Administrator