The Philippines has officially joined the 1970 Hague Evidence Convention, a move aimed at improving the country’s justice system through better international cooperation in civil and commercial cases.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed the instrument of accession on April 21, stating the Convention would “streamline evidence collection techniques, reduce party litigants’ expenses, address court delays and enhance the competitiveness of Philippine legal practitioners.”
Philippine Ambassador to The Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya deposited the instrument with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs—the Convention’s official depositary—on May 6. The Hague Evidence Convention will enter into force for the Philippines on July 5, 2025.
The Convention provides a legal framework for obtaining evidence from one country for use in judicial proceedings in another, which is expected to ease the process of international litigation. The Philippines becomes the 68th Contracting State, joining countries like the United States, China, Vietnam, Singapore, and most EU nations.
Malaya described the move as “hugely significant” in advancing the administration of justice. “The Supreme Court under Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo paved the way for the accession with its issuance of the implementing guidelines for the Convention,” he added.
The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) has been designated as the Central Authority responsible for implementing the Convention’s provisions. In March, the Supreme Court issued Administrative Matter No. 25-02-17-SC to integrate the Convention’s processes into Philippine legal procedures.
The move was supported by legal groups including the Philippine Bar Association and the IBP – Quezon City Chapter. The Convention complements the earlier ratified HCCH Service Convention, also administered by the OCA.
The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), of which the Philippines has been a member since 2010, promotes legal cooperation across borders through standardized legal frameworks like this one.