SC to pilot test ePayment in 20 trial courts nationwide
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court is expanding the rollout of its ePayment solution, or online payment, to selected trial courts nationwide as the Judiciary continues on its digital shift.
Initially covering only small claims cases, the Judiciary Electronic Payment Solution (JEPS) will be pilot tested in the following courts:
- Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC)
- Mandaluyong MeTC
- San Juan City MeTC
- Malolos City, Bulacan Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC_
- Baguio City, Benguet MTCC
- Angeles City, Pampanga MTCC
- Cabuyao City, Laguna MTCC
- Naga City, Camarines Sur MTCC
- Vigan City, Ilocos Sur MTCC
- Ilagan City, Isabela MTCC
- Puerto Princesa City, Palawan MTCC
- Bacolod City, Negros Occidental MTCC
- Lapu-lapu City, Cebu MTCC
- Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental MTCC
- Tacloban City, Leyte MTCC
- Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur MTCC
- Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental MTCC
- Cotabato City, Maguindanao MTCC
- Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte MTCC
- Davao City, Davao del Sur MTCC
The Office of the Court Administrator issued Circular 44-2022 designating the first level courts for pilot testing, the SC Public Information Office said in a statement on Thursday.
Under the circular issued by newly-appointed Court Administrator Raul Villanueva, clerks and acting clerks of courts are directed to “adopt the Interim Guidelines Implementation of the JEPS which, among others, designates the Union Bank of the Philippines system as an alternative mode of payment of legal fees and other collections, in addition to the Fortune Pay Online Portal, until the integration of the latter with the system.”
They are also ordered to post instructions, in English and vernacular, on payment windows and bulletin boards on how to pay electronically using the UBP system.
Digital payments
The SC PIO said the pilot-testing of the JEPS in local courts is an offshoot of its Memorandum of Agreement with UBP in March 2021 for the development of an ePayment solution for the Judiciary.
The JEPS “is aimed at streamlining the processes of assessment and payment of court fees, increasing accessibility of the public to judicial services, increasing transparency and accountability and providing the SC with efficient accounting and auditing mechanisms,” the PIO also said.
Following this, the SC in July 2021 launched the ePayment for Small Claims.
For the 2020/21 Bar exams, applicants were also given the option to pay their fees through Landbank LinkBiz portal and Judiciary ePayment Solutions, other than paying the deposit over-the-counter. — Kristine Joy Patag
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