Philippine Dispute Resolution Center (PDRC)

What Philippine Dispute Resolution Center (PDRC) does

Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Inc. (PDRCI) is a non-stock, non-profit arbitral institution headquartered in Taguig City, Philippines, incorporated in 1996 as the arbitration arm of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The organization administers commercial arbitration and mediation proceedings under proprietary rules (PDRCI Arbitration Rules, PDRCI Mediation Rules, and PDRCI Sports Mediation Rules), appoints qualified arbitrators and mediators, and provides supporting services including hearing room rental, transcription, and referral services. PDRCI is the Philippine SEC's designated ADR center for ASEAN Capital Markets disputes and works closely with the Supreme Court, Department of Justice, Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution (OADR), and Philippine Sports Commission on national ADR institutionalization.

PDRCI monetizes through transaction-based administrative fees (e.g., P75,000 filing fee plus arbitrator and miscellaneous deposits), training and seminar fees (most notably the Commercial Arbitration Training Seminar, CATS), membership dues for accredited professionals, and ancillary services such as hearing room rental and transcription. Its go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (direct contract through PDRCI Secretariat and standard arbitration clauses) with event-driven engagement (annual CATS, specialized IP and sports mediation workshops). The organization markets through the Philippine ADR Review newsletter, government and institutional partnerships, and professional association engagements (IBP, PCCI, ASEAN Law Association).

Technology is centered on proprietary procedural rules and process flows rather than software platforms. An Online Dispute Resolution System has been proposed since 2010 to broaden access to remote arbitration and mediation, but the platform does not appear to be fully operational. PDRCI maintains a network of international partnerships with CIETAC, SIAC, SIMC, HKIAC, WIPO AMC, ABA ROLI, JICA, and FIDIC for cross-border knowledge transfer and enforcement. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees with current leadership including Secretary General Roberto N. Dio, Executive Director Arleo Antonio R. Magtibay Jr. (appointed February 2021), and an acting president structure. PDRCI does not publish financial statements and relies on transactional, training, and membership revenue to sustain its 26-employee operation.

Name

Philippine Dispute Resolution Center (PDRC)

Legal name

Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Inc.

Website

https://pdrci.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Inc. (PDRCI) is a non-profit arbitral institution headquartered in Taguig City that administers commercial arbitration and mediation proceedings, appoints accredited neutrals, trains ADR professionals, and serves as the SEC-designated ADR center for ASEAN Capital Markets disputes in the Philippines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Dispute Resolution Services

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Commercial arbitration services
• Mediation services
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Arbitrator accreditation
• Arbitration training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Taguig City

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Arbitration Administration Fees: Administrative fees for filing and processing arbitration cases, ranging from minimum fees for cases with small sums in dispute to higher fees for larger disputes. Filing fee of P75,000 plus deposits for arbitrator fees and miscellaneous expenses.
2. Arbitrator and Mediator Fees: Fees paid to arbitrators and mediators appointed through PDRCI, deposited by claimants and governed by fee schedules.
3. Training and Seminar Fees: Revenue from commercial arbitration training seminars, mediation workshops, and specialized programs for IP professionals and sports practitioners.
4. Facility Rental: Hearing room rental and transcription services for parties conducting arbitration or mediation proceedings.
5. Membership Dues: Regular membership fees for arbitrators, mediators, and other professionals seeking accreditation and networking with PDRCI's international arbitration center network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PDRCI administers institutional arbitration and mediation proceedings for commercial and specialized disputes, appoints accredited arbitrators and mediators, and provides related training, accreditation, hearing facilities, and transcription services. The organization promotes ADR use in the Philippines through publication of the Philippine ADR Review, delivery of the annual Commercial Arbitration Training Seminar (CATS), and partnerships with international arbitration centers.

Product overview

PDRCI is a non-stock, non-profit arbitral institution offering dispute resolution services through administration of arbitration and mediation proceedings. The core offerings include Commercial Arbitration Administration, Mediation Services, and the Sports Mediation Rules module. Supporting services include the annual Commercial Arbitration Training Seminar (CATS), proposed Online Dispute Resolution System, Hearing Room Rental, Transcription Services, Arbitrator/Mediator Accreditation, and the Philippine ADR Review newsletter. PDRCI does not itself resolve disputes but administers proceedings and appoints qualified neutrals under its rules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Arbitration Administration Administration of commercial arbitration proceedings under PDRCI rules, including appointment of arbitrators, case management, and hearing facilitation. Used by businesses, lawyers, and corporate counsel handling commercial disputes.
• Mediation Services Facilitated negotiation services where PDRCI-appointed mediators assist disputing parties in reaching voluntary settlement agreements under PDRCI Mediation Rules. Used by parties seeking confidential and efficient resolution of disputes.
• Sports Mediation Services (Sports Mediation Rules 2021) Specialized mediation services for sports-related disputes covering compensation, contract terms, and eligibility issues for athletes, team owners, and managers, administered under the PDRCI Sports Mediation Rules 2021.
• Commercial Arbitration Training Seminar (CATS) Annual training seminar covering commercial arbitration law and practice, consisting of minimum 24 hours of lectures and 16 hours of simulations. Compliant with OADR and DOJ Training Standards for ADR Practitioners. Aimed at professionals pursuing accreditation as arbitrators and mediators.
• Hearing Room Rental Rental of hearing rooms, break-out rooms, and related facilities at PDRCI's permanent office for parties conducting arbitration or mediation proceedings.
• Transcription Services Transcription of minutes and hearings for arbitration and mediation proceedings. Provided to parties conducting ADR proceedings at PDRCI.
• Arbitrator and Mediator Accreditation Accreditation program for arbitrators and mediators, including trained, accredited, and sports-specific categories, supporting professional credentialing in ADR.
• Referral Services Referral services connecting parties with qualified arbitrators, mediators, and other ADR professionals.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Philippine Sports CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Renewed partnership for the promotion and formulation of sports ADR programs. PDRC developed Sports Mediation Rules approved March 2021 for resolving sports-related disputes including compensation, contract terms, and eligibility.
• Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution (OADR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2020MOA to develop and implement programs to institutionalize the use and practice of ADR in the Philippines. PDRC to provide resource persons on policy formulation and draft legislation on ADR, with monthly online meetings to identify programs including ADR trainings, seminars, forums, conferences, and joint research.
• Philippine Securities and Exchange CommissionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated PDRCI as the ADR center in the Philippines to resolve capital markets disputes in ASEAN, pursuant to ASEAN's plan to achieve regional capital market integration by 2015.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint training seminars with IPO and WIPO AMC on new IPO-PDRCI Arbitration Rules patterned after WIPO Arbitration Rules. Conducted IP mediation workshop and commercial arbitration training for IP professionals.
• American Bar Association (ABA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) and OADR to conduct basic training seminar in commercial arbitration law and practice for approximately 50 lawyers of DOJ, OADR, and OGCC.
• Dispute Resolution Board Foundation (DRBF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExploring potential tie-ups with DRBF, an international non-profit organization promoting the use of Dispute Boards to resolve disputes in construction projects.
• Fédération Internationale Des Ingénieurs-Conseils (FIDIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngr. Salvador P. Castro Jr. admitted as FIDIC Affiliate Member. PDRCI members trained in FIDIC Contracts and Dispute Board adjudication through JICA workshops.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJICA released Dispute Board Manual and conducted FIDIC Contracts training workshop. Certified Philippine national list of FIDIC adjudicators.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Broad incumbents

• WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center: Specialized international ADR institution for intellectual property and technology disputes; PDRCI's IP arbitration rules are patterned after WIPO's and the two co-host training.
• American Arbitration Association / ICDR: Large U.S.-headquartered ADR provider operating the International Centre for Dispute Resolution; offers administered arbitration and mediation services analogous to PDRCI's offerings.
• London Court of International Arbitration: Historic London-based international arbitral institution administering commercial disputes worldwide; comparable to PDRCI in providing administered arbitration rules and case administration services.
• International Chamber of Commerce International Court of Arbitration: The world's largest and most established international arbitral institution; overlaps with PDRCI's core commercial arbitration service but operates globally with a much broader scope and panel.

Others

• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators: Global membership body that accredits, trains, and certifies arbitrators and mediators; closely analogous to PDRCI's CATS training and accreditation programs even though it does not administer cases directly.

Direct peers

• China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission: China's leading international arbitral institution with global caseload across commercial disputes; PDRCI has a reciprocal relationship inviting Filipino candidates to CIETAC's Panel of Arbitrators.
• Singapore International Mediation Centre: Singapore-based mediation institution; PDRCI co-hosted an AMA Protocol talk with SIMC and SIAC, and both compete for international commercial mediation mandates.
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre: Hong Kong-based arbitral institution offering administered arbitration, mediation, and domain name dispute resolution; PDRCI has a long-standing resource-speaker relationship with HKIAC and overlaps directly in cross-border commercial cases.
• Singapore International Arbitration Centre: Premier Asian arbitral institution administering commercial arbitration and mediation under its own rules; PDRCI has a cooperation agreement with SIAC and competes for the same ASEAN-based international caseload.

Regional players

• Construction Industry Arbitration Commission: Philippine domestic arbitral body specialized in construction disputes; competes with PDRCI for domestic construction arbitration work and shares a Philippines-only geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pdrc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Philippine Dispute Resolution Center (PDRC)