Executive Order (E.O.) No. 523, signed by the President on April 7, 2006, requires all departments, agencies, and government owned and controlled corporations under the Executive Branch of Government to promote the use of alternative modes of dispute resolution such as, but not limited to, mediation, conciliation, and arbitration as part of the practice in resolving disputes filed before them; encourage the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as an important means to achieve speedy and impartial justice; and declog dockets to attain higher efficiency in the bureaucracy.

It also mandates the said Executive Agencies to train in the field of ADR at least two (2) of their senior officials who are to be designated to develop and implement the use of ADR in their agencies. For this purpose, the ADR Secretariat has arranged an ADR Training Program with The Conflict Resolution Group Foundation, Inc. under the auspices of the The Asia Foundation and the USAID.

To monitor and evaluate the promotion and development of the ADR practice in the bureaucracy, all heads of departments, agencies, and government owned and controlled corporations under the Executive Branch of Government are hereby required to submit the status of their compliance with E.O. No. 523 to the ADR Secretariat (GPNP-CNN Secretariat) located at 4/F Agustin I Building, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City (Tel. No. 636-0701) not later than 16 March 2007.

Adopted: 13 March 20007

By Authority of the President:

(SGD.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary