Staring April 1 this year, metropolitan trial courts can handle small claims cases involving up to P400,000.
“This upgrade from the P300,000 previous limit benefits thousands of ordinary Filipinos seeking court intervention on cases involving financial claims,” said former Integrated Bar of the Philippines commissioner and now 1-Ang Edukasyon Party-list Rep. Bong Belaro.
The claims limit hike will result in the speedier and more efficient resolution of money claims cases.
“Bibilis ang takbo ng mga kaso at mas malaking halaga ang mababawi ng mga nagsampa ng kaso,” Belaro also said.
The P300,000 limit was set only last year. In 2015, the limit was at P200,000.
Quoting SC Justice Diosdado Peralta, the Supreme Court public information office said the claims limit hike “will result in the speedier and more efficient resolution of money claims cases, as well as help increase the country’s score in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report.”
Belaro, a former law professor and law school dean, also praised the SC for continuing the practice, started in 2004, of having two examiners for each of the tests that comprise the bar exams.
“The Supreme Court noticed bar passing rates improve after they designated two examiners. I infer from this that there were more passers because their fate did not rest solely on the questions and checking done by just one examiner per subject,” Belaro said.
In an en banc resolution approved on January 15, the High Court adopted a general policy to designate two examiners per bar exam subject and prescribe a process for the exam booklets and checking thereof.
They also increased the examiners’ and bar chairperson’s honoraria to P400 per candidate. P275 was the previous rate for examiners while for the bar chairperson, it was P350.
