CIRCULAR NO. 21-99, March 20, 1999

The provisions of Section 5 of Republic Act No. 7691
prescribe that fAfter five years (5) from the effectivity of this Act,
the jurisdictional imounts mentioned in Sec. 19 (3), ^[1] (4),^[2] and (8),^[3] and Sec. 33(1)^[4]
of Batas Pambansa Big. 129 as amended by this Act, shall be adjusted
to Two hundred thousand pesos (£200,000.00). Five (5) years thereafter,
such jurisdictional lamounts shall be adjusted further to Three hundred
thousand pesos (P300,000.00): Provided, However, That in the
case of Metro Manila, the ibovementioned jurisdictional amounts shall be
adjusted after five (5) years from the effectivity of this Act to Four
hundred thousand pesos (P400,000.00).”

Section 8 of the same law states that “This Act shall take effect fifteen |(15) days following its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) lational newspapers of general circulation.”

Republic Act No. 7691 was published simultaneously in the 30 March 1994 issues of the Philippine Journal and Malaya. The law took effect on 15 ,pril 1994.

Considering the provisions of Section 31,^[5] Chapter 8, Book I of the 1987 L.dministrative Code, Section 5 of R.A. No. 7691 took effect on 20 March [999.

For information and guidance.

^[1]
1 Under Section 19 (3) of R.A. No. 7691, the Regional Trial Courts
shall exercise original jurisdiction “In all actions in admiralty and
maritime jurisdiction where the land or claim exceeds One hundred
thousand pesos (P 100,000.00) or in Metro Manila, where |h demand or
claim exceeds Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00).”

^[2]
Under Section 19 (4) of R.A. No. 7691, the Regional Trial Courts shall
exercise exclusive original jurisdiction “In all matters of probate, both
testate and intestate, where the gross, lie of the estate exceeds One
hundred thousand pesos (P 100,000.00) or, in probate matters in Metro
Manila, where such gross value exceeds Two hundred thousand pesos (P
200,000.00).”

^[3] Under
Section 19 (8) of R.A. No. 7691, the Regional Trial Courts shall
exercise |lusive original jurisdiction “In all other cases in which the
demand, exclusive of interest, lages of whatever kind, attorney’s fees,
litigation expenses, and costs or the value of the Iperty in controversy
exceeds One hundred thousand pesos (P 100,000.00) or, in such other
ss in Metro Manila, where the demand, exclusive of the
abovementioned items, exceeds Two [idred thousand pesos (P 200,000.00).”

^[4] Under
Section 33 (1) of R.A. No. 7691, the Metropolitan Trial Courts, the
Municipal Courts in Cities, the Municipal Trial Courts and the Municipal
Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise “Exclusive original jurisdiction
over civil actions and probate proceedings, testate and intestate
including the grant of provisional remedies in proper cases, where the
value of the personal property, estate or amount of the demand does not
exceed One hundred thousand pesos P100,000.00) or, in Metro Manila where
such personal property, estate, or amount of the demand does not exceed
Two Hundred thousand pesos (P 200,000.00), exclusive of interest,
damages of whatever kind, attorney’s fees, litigation expenses, and
costs, the amount of which must be specifically alleged: Provided, That
interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney’s fees, litigation
expenses, and costs shall be included in the determination of the filing
fees: Provided, futther, That where there are several claims or causes
of action between the same or different parties embodied in the same
complaint, the amount of the demand shall be the totality of the clams
in all the causes of action, irrespective of whether the causes of
action arose out of the same or different transactions.

^[5]
Section 31 prescribes that “‘Year’ shall be understood to be twelve
calendar months; ‘month’ of thirty days, unless it refers to a specific
calendar month in which case it shall be disputed according to the number
of days the specific month contains; ‘day’ to a day of twenty Ir hours;
and ‘night’ from sunset to sunrise.”