OCA, ABA ROLI Hold Ceremonial Turnover of ADR Animation Videos
July 21, 2023
Court Administrator Raul Bautista Villanueva (second from left) officially receives from American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) Deputy Chief of Party Atty. Liezl Z. Parajas ownership of the two animated videos on alternative dispute resolution produced by the ABA ROLI in partnership with the Office of the Court Administrator and with the support of the United States Agency for International Development, on July 21, 2023 at the Session Hall of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. With them are Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez and ABA ROLI Philippines Program Manager Atty. Jadelee I. Marquez. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
The Supreme Court of the Philippines, through the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), officially received from the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) ownership of two animated instructional videos on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that were produced by the ABA ROLI in partnership with the Office of the Court Administrator and with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), on July 21, 2023 at the Session Hall of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
In a message delivered by Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said that the two instructional videos—one on Court-Annexed Mediation and the other on Mediators’ Training—will be used not just to help train court-annexed mediators and judicial dispute resolution judges, but also to promote public awareness on ADR mechanisms, as well as the Court’s recent programs on them.
“These videos were carefully crafted in an engaging format, particularly given the context of today’s multimedia digital landscape—and we are especially grateful for these materials because I am confident that these will go a long way in reinforcing the Court’s thrust towards encouraging the wider use of ADR mechanisms here in our country,” said the Chief Justice.
Chief Justice Gesmundo added that the ADR videos are a welcome contribution to the Court’s endeavor of encouraging litigants “to resort to mediation, judicial dispute resolution, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution in and out of court, in order to dispose of cases with less time and effort on their part, and with less expense on the part of the litigants,” noting that the OCA subsequently released Circular No. 127-2021 in reiteration of this directive.
In his response, Court Administrator Raul Bautista Villanueva shared that the journey of producing the videos started in 2021, when the Philippine Mediation Center proposed to the ABA ROLI the production of videos that will disseminate information about the ADR. “Thereafter, the OCA, upon prior approval from Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, and the ABA ROLI inked the Memorandum of Understanding to implement the project,” said Court Administrator Villanueva, adding that the project is one that is driven by the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), “aimed at making our justice system and judicial processes efficient, innovative, and accessible.”
Court Administrator Villanueva proudly reported that the Philippines has been recognized as one of the leading countries in ADR programs and is a founding member of two international organizations: the Asian Mediation Association and the Judicial Dispute Resolution Network.
“Our SC ADR programs have been existing for 21 years now,” disclosed the Court Administrator. “We currently have Court-Annexed Mediation (CAM), the Judicial Dispute Resolution (JDR), the Appellate Court Mediation, Court of Tax Appeals Mediation, the Mobile Court-Annexed Mediation, and, very soon, the Family Court-Annexed Mediation. We will continue to elevate the status of ADR by doing more programs similar to what we have done today,” he said.
Court Administrator Villanueva added that the two animated videos are a likely prelude to the adaptation of ADR programs that are not just integrated in court proceedings relative to cases already filed, like CAM and JDR, but to make ADR programs like conciliation and arbitration prerequisites for filing a court action.
“When this happens, we already have a template to widen the reach to disseminate the advantages of such initiative,” said Court Administrator, mentioning that even prior to the turnover ceremony, the Supreme Court Public Information Office has come up with the same platform of animated instructional video for public awareness of the procedure for posting bail.
Atty. Liezl Z. Parajas, Deputy Chief of Party of ABA ROLI Philippines, shared the developments in the various programs of ABA ROLI and assured that ABA ROLI is deeply committed to continuing its cooperation with the leaders of the Philippine Judiciary and the Philippine Bar in accomplishing its programs.
Also present during the turnover ceremony were Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) ADR Department lecturer and Court of Appeals Associate Justice Gabriel T. Robeniol, Assistant Court Administrator (ACA) Lilian C. Barribal-Co, ACA Maria Regina Adoracion Filomena M. Ignacio, ACA and Public Information Office Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka, and PHILJA ADR Department Chairperson Commissioner Linda L. Malenab-Hornilla.
Representing ABA ROLI together with Atty. Parajas were ABA ROLI Philippines Program Manager Atty. Jadelee I. Marquez and Program Officers Atty. Joy Raguindin and Atty. Karen Tolentino. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez delivers the message of Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo at the Alternative Dispute Resolution Animation Videos – Ceremonial Turnover Meeting on July 21, 2023 at the Session Hall of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
Court Administrator Raul Bautista Villanueva delivers a response of the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) to the official turnover of ownership of the two animated videos on alternative dispute resolution produced by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative in partnership with the OCA and with the support of the United States Agency for International Development, on July 21, 2023 at the Session Hall of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
Supreme Court of the Philippines, Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), and American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) officials and representatives pose for posterity after the Alternative Dispute Resolution Animation Videos – Ceremonial Turnover Meeting on July 21, 2023 at the Session Hall of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. (From left) Acting Supreme Court Senior Chief Staff Officer and Chief of SC Library Services Atty. Joyce Dimaisip – Cunanan; Assistant Court Administrator (ACA) and Public Information Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka; ACA Lilian C. Barribal-Co; ACA Maria Regina Adoracion Filomena M. Ignacio; Court Administrator Raul Bautista Villanueva; Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez; ABA ROLI Philippines Deputy Chief of Party Atty. Liezl Z. Parajas; ABA ROLI Philippines Program Manager Atty. Jadelee I. Marquez; PHILJA ADR Department Chairperson Commissioner Linda L. Malenab-Hornilla; PHILJA ADR Department lecturer and Court of Appeals Associate Justice Gabriel T. Robeniol; and PHILJA Head Executive Assistant Atty. Devery Jean Katrina T. Tumilba. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
Screenshots from the two animated videos on alternative dispute resolution that were turned over by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative to the Supreme Court of the Philippines, through the Office of the Court Administrator, on July 21, 2023 at the Session Hall of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)