THE first Philippine Arbitration Center in the Visayas (PACV) is now ready to accommodate cases.
PACV is considered as the pilot school-based arbitration center for the whole Southeast Asia. It covers whole Western Visayas but puts an emphasis in Panay island specifically in Iloilo.
“Cebu does not have the same arbitration center likewise sa (in) Davao and other major cities aside from Metro Manila, Iloilo lang ang may (only has) Philippine Arbitration Center in the Visayas," lawyer Joenar Pueblo said, president of PACV, on Saturday, March 17, in University of San Agustin's (USA) Rada Hall.
Its function mainly focused in encouraging commercial arbitration cases to proceed on the center rather than going to court which usually takes lengthy time for the resolution of the case. The concentration is perfect for commercial dispute especially the big ones.
"It speeds up the solution of disputes of commercial cases so thing like Apple versus Samsung," Pueblo said.
Pueblo believes that the PACV is a helping hand to the Supreme Court due to the number of cases it caters.
"Ma minimize ang (it minimizes) number of cases sang isa ka court (in the court) so that's what we're doing right now," he added.
The cases held under the arbitration center can be resolve for a range of one year while in courts it would last up to five or even 10 years.
The PACV was patterned from the different arbitration center worldwide and was inspired by New York and Singapore International Arbitration Centers.
"So we have an arbitration center of an international caliber diri sa (here in) San Agustin," said Pueblo.
A client can choose their own lawyer who can handle their cases based on the expertise. For example, if the problem is concerned with hospital matters, the client can choose an arbitrator with proficiency on it.
The partners and organizers of PACV were the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, PACV and law firms of Oso Pueblo and Associates; Regalado, Regalado and Divinagracia, Tirol and Tirol, Villa Villa Setias and Alimodian and USA College of Law Students and Alternative Dispute Resolution 2017-2018 2nd year. (Carolyn Jane Abello)