Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4719

House Bill No.

Introduced by Honorable Irvin M. Alcala

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The bill proposes the creation of two additional branches of Municipal Trial Court in
Cities (MTCC) for the City of Lucena, Province of Quezon for the purpose of easing the burden
of resolving cases under the jurisdiction of the existing MTCCs in the city.

Lucena City is a first class highly urbanized city, and the capital city of Quezon. It also
belongs to the 20 most competitive cities of the Philippines. It is the center of commerce,
industry, transportation, and communications in Quezon province. According to
the 2011 census, it has a population of 270,000 people in 45,902 households. Being a business
center and a populated city, transactions that require judicial intervention are higher and
escalate through the years.

With the increase of population and transactions in Lucena, the number of cases
continues to grow, and clog the dockets. When court dockets are clogged with cases, the inflow
of new cases and the hastening of proceedings of pending cases are impeded. Under Batas
Pambansa Blg. 129, Lucena City has only two MTCC which, at present, handle 1,500 cases per
branch. Ideally, each branch of a court should handle from one hundred and fifty (150) to two
hundred (200) cases. Clearly, the two MTCCs are inadequate to deal with the total case load.
Hence, there is a need to allocate additional court branches in the city.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this billi ly requested.

IRVIN.
2” District, Quezon Province


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4719

House Bill No.

Introduced by Honorable Irvin M. Alcala
‘AN ACT
CREATING TWO ADDITIONAL MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT IN CITIES (MTCC) FOR THE CITY OF
LUCENA, PROVINCE OF QUEZON, AMENDING SECTION 29 OF BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
Section 1. Section 29 of Batas Pambansa Big. 129, otherwise known as the Judiciary

Reorganization Act of 1980, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

“Section 29. Municipal Trial Courts in Cities. ~ In every city which does not form
part of a Metropolitan area, there shall be a Municipal Trial Court with one branch,

except as hereunder provided:

‘Two branches for Laoag City;

Four branches for Baguio City;
Three branches for Dagupan City;
Five branches for Olongapo City;
Three branches for Cabanatuan City;
Two branches for San Jose City;
Three branches for Angeles City;
Two branches for Cavite City;

Two branches for Batangas City;
[Two] FOUR branches for Lucena City;
Three branches for Naga City:

‘Two branches for Iriga City;

Three branches for Legaspi City;
‘Two branches for Roxas City;

Four branches for Iloilo City;


Seven branches for Bacolod City;

Two branches for Dumaguete City;
Two branches for Tacloban City;

Eight branches for Cebu City;

Three brances for Mandaue City;

Two branches for Tagbilaran City;

Two branches for Surigao City;

Two branches for Butuan City;

Five branches for Cagayan de Oro City;
Seven branches for Davao City;

Three branches for General Santos City;
Two branches for Oroquieta City;
Three branches for Ozamis City;

‘Two branches for Dipolog City;

Four branches for Zamboanga City;
Two branches for Pagadian City; and,
Two branches for lligan City.

Sec. 2. The two additional branches of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities for Lucena City

shall be numbered consecutively as Branches III and IV.

Sec. 3. The amount needed to carry out the provisions of this Act is hereby authorized
to be appropriated in the Government Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment
into law and thereafter.

Sec. 4, This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,