Construction Commission appoints 10 new arbitrators

Construction related disputes, may it electrical, mechanical, civil, consultation services, among other related issues, can now be resolved in Cebu through the appointment of 10 Cebuano Arbitrators.

The Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIA), together with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Philippine Institute of Constructions Arbitrators, Inc. (PICA) have accredited new construction arbitrators in Cebu, namely; Tomasito Z. Academia, Claudio B. Altura, Antonio Tompar, Primitivo C. Cal, Doroteo M. Salazar, Antonio Mansueto II, Danilo Pasicaran, Cresencio M. Rocamora, Vitaliano A. Tacudin, and Kian Hun T. Tiu, as Cebu-based construction Arbitrators.

Contractors or building owners of any complainant can now have a money and time saving out-of-court dispute resolution, as these 10 Arbitrators will be actively function to help any supposedly "court-bound" disputes, especially between contractors and building owners or clients.

While construction disputes filed in court will take years to resolve, construction arbitration normally takes only six months from the hearing of the case to the rendering of Award by the Sole Arbitrator or the Arbitral Tribunal, this would help businessmen in the construction industry to shorten their problems against a client or a client against a contractor.

"Construction disputants will save transportation and accommodation expenses in having their cases resolved here in Cebu that in Manila. A contact center is tentatively set up at the Mactan Rock Industries, Inc., at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel," said Arbitrator Guadalupe O. Mansueto in a press conference yesterday.

Mansueto said there are a lot of construction related disputes in Cebu than can be intervened by the Arbitrators here, especially that Cebu's construction industry is perking up.

According to Mansueto the entry of these Arbitrators would also help small contractors or clients victimized through breach of contract or non-compliance of the signed contract, among other problems.

The CIAC of the DTI was established in 1985 through an Executive Order No. 1008 and is vested with the original and exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising from or connected with contracts entered into by the parties involved in construction in the Philippines, whether the dispute arises before or after the completion of the project or after the abandonment or breach thereof. These may involve government or private contracts.

Since 1989 there were already 463 cases filed through Arbitrators, 353 of which were resolved in an average of six months, 68 were dismissed, nine withdrawn, four suspended, while 28 are pending.

Cases with less than P300,000 sum of dispute cost can be exempted from Arbitrators' fee, except from paying minimal administrative cost.

"The presence of Cebuano Arbitrators would help construction sectors established a professional industry, and would also attract big construction firms, projects, and investors to come," Mansueto said.

Multinational firms for example will not be hesitant to partner with small subconstructors or local companies because of a dispute arises it can easily be intervened by Arbitrators.

Furniture manufacturers who have disputes with subsconstractors, or suppliers can be covered by the construction Arbitrators.