ILOILO City – An arbitration center has opened in this city – the first of its kind outside Metro Manila.
It can hasten the resolution of disputes, especially of commercial cases.
Based at the University of San Agustin (USA), the Philippine Arbitration Center in the Visayas (PACV) is also the first school-based arbitration center in Southeast Asia, said Atty. Joenar Pueblo, president of PACV.
PAVC was realized in cooperation with the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Inc. and the USA College of Law.
“We encourage the commercial arbitration of cases rather than for contending parties to go to court,” said Pueblo.
Litigation could take time, said Pueblo, because courts handle a lot of cases.
“Two-fold ang bulig sang PACV,” said Pueblo. These are hastening dispute resolution and helping de-clog courts of cases.
“Arbitration cases only take a year to be resolved. This is faster compared to court cases that take five to 10 years to resolve,” said Pueblo.
PACV could also help Iloilo attract foreign investors, he added.
“Arbitration started in Great Britain,” he revealed.
Recently, the city government welcomed businessmen from Great Britain. The British Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines held a two-day trade mission on March 8 and 9.
“The center will provide the venue, procedure and technical assistance to parties willing to arbitrate,” said Pueblo.
Apart from Pueblo, other pioneers of the PACV are Atty. Cyril Regalado as vice president; Atty. Jose Mari Benjamin Francisco Tirol, executive treasurer; Atty. Roy Villa, executive secretariat; Atty. Domingo Oso and Atty. Vicente Go as consultants; and Atty. Nellie Jo Aujero-Regalado and Atty. Dominic Paul Oso as legal counsels./PN
