OCA CIRCULAR NO.

34-2012

ALL PRESIDING JUDGES AND CLERKS OF

COURT OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS
SUBJECT :

I M P L E M E N TAT I O N O F S E C T I O N 3 6 O F
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9285 AND SUBMISSION
O F I N V E N T O R Y R E P O R T S I N R E L AT I O N
THERETO

The Construction Industry Arbitration Commiss{on (CIAC)

t h r o u g h i t s A c t i n g C h a i r m a n , M r. I s a a c S . D a v i d , h a s i n v i t e d t h e
a t t e n t i o n o f t h i s O f fi c e r e g a r d i n g t h e o r i g i n a l a n d e x c l u s i v e
jurisdiction of the CIAC over construction disputes and the Regional
Tr i a l C o u r t ' s a d j u d i c a t i v e f u n c t i o n t o d i s m i s s s a i d d i s p u t e s w i t h
a r b i t r a t i o n c l a u s e s fi l e d w i t h i t n o t l a t e r t h a n t h e p r e - t r i a l
c o n f e r e n c e , a n d i m m e d i a t e l y t h e r e a f t e r, r e f e r t h e s a m e t o t h e C I A C
pursuant to Section 4, Executive Order No. 1008 and Section 39,
Republic Act No. 9285 dated February 4, 1985 and April 2, 2004,
respectively, to wit:
"Section 4. Jurisdiction. The CIAC shall have original
and exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising from or
connected with contracts entered into by parties
involved in construction in the Philippines, whether the
dispute arises before or after the completion of the
contract, or after the abandonment or breach thereof, xxx"
"Section 39. Court to Dismiss Case Involving
C o n s t r u c t i o n D i s p u t e . A R e g i o n a l Tr i a l C o u r t b e f o r e
which a construction dispute is filed shall, upon becoming
aware, not later than the pre-trial conference, that the
parties had entered into an arbitration agreement,
dismiss the case and refer the parties to arbitration to be
conducted by t.he CIAC, unless both parties, assisted
by their respective counsel, shall submit to the Regional
Trial Court a written agreement exclusively for the
Court, rather than the CIAC, to resolve the dispute."
(Emphasis supplied)
H o w e v e r, i t a p p e a r s t h a t d e s p i t e t h e f o r e g o i n g r u l e s , t h e t r i a l
courts before which the construction disputes with arbitration

c l a u s e s h a v e b e e n fi l e d , s t i l l c o n t i n u e d r e s o l v i n g t h e s a m e , w h i c h
add to the clogging of court dockets and to the problem of undue
d e l a y i n t h e s e t t l e m e n t o f d i s p u t e s i n t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n i n d u s t r y. F o r
this purpose, there is an urgent necessity that such persistent
practice by the lower courts be stopped, and that the trial courts be
r e q u i r e d t o i m m e d i a t e l y s u b m i t t o t h i s O f fi c e t h e l i s t o f p e n d i n g
construction disputes with arbitration clauses that have not yet been
referred to the CIAC.
In view of the foregoing, all concerned are hereby DIRECTED
t o ( 1 ) D I S M I S S , e f f e c t i v e i m m e d i a t e l y, a l l p e n d i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n
disputes with arbitration clauses of the contending parties not later
than the, pre-trial conference, and thereafter REFER the same to the
Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC) for their
proper arbitration thereon, unless both parties, assisted by their
r e s p e c t i v e c o u n s e l , s h a l l s u b m i t t o t h e R e g i o n a l Tr i a l C o u r t a w r i t t e n
agreement exclusively for the Court, rather than the CIAC, to resolve
t h e d i s p u t e ; a n d ( 2 ) S U B M I T a l s o w i t h i n fi f t e e n ( 1 5 ) d a y s f r o m
n o t i c e , a n i n v e n t o r y o f s u c h c o n s t r u c t i o n d i s p u t e s fi l e d i n t h e i r
r e s p e c t i v e c o u r t s , t o t h e C o u r t M a n a g e m e n t O f fi c e , O f fi c e o f t h e
C o u r t A d m i n i s t r a t o r, u s i n g t h e a t t a c h e d F o r m N o . I .
Strict compliance herewith is hereby enjoined.

April 27, 2012

J ( ~ S I ~ M I D A S P. M A R Q U E Z
X,C~ur t Administrator

B ~ C / R D S / f r c / 0 3 - 1 2 - 1 2 / i n v e n t o r y, c o n s t r u c t i o n . b u s i n e s s . d o c

INVENTORY OF CONSTRUCTION DISPUTES

No.

Case No.

Case Title

Prepared by :

Date Filed

Latest Status (If not yet Referred to CIAC)

Verified by:
Clerk-in-Charge

Clerk of Court/OIC

Noted:
Presiding Judge