Pursuant to Supreme Court “en banc” Resolution A.M. No. 01-10-5-SC-PHILJA, dated October 16, 2001, and in line with the objectives of the Action Program for Judicial Reforms (APJR) to decongest court dockets, among others, the Court prescribed guidelines in institutionalizing and implementing the mediation program in the Philippines. The same resolution designated the Philippine Judicial Academy as the component unit of the Supreme Court for Court-Annexed Mediation and other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanisms, and established the Philippine Mediation Center (PMC).

Pending the formal creation of a more organized and structured Philippine Mediation Center, a Mediation Division at the Judicial Reforms Office of the Philippine Judicial Academy-Supreme Court, was established to oversee and manage Mediation Center Units all over the country.

Since its inception in 2001, the Mediation Center Units have grown from seventeen (17) units in the National Capital Region to One Hundred Thirteen (113) Units located in Ten (10) out of the Thirteen (13) Regions in the country.

An internship program is now on-going in Malolos Bulacan which shall serve as our launching center in the Province of Bulacan. After the training and accreditation of the Mediator/Interns, it is expected that the most if not all the Metropolitan Trial Courts outside Malolos will have their own Mediation Units.

Preparations are also in full swing for the establishment of PMC Units in Zamboanga, Tuguegarao, Dumaguete and Pangasinan.