OCA CIRCULAR NO. 131-2003, September 15, 2003

OCA Circular No. 29-2003 dated March 21, 2003 established the
PERFORMANCE COMMITMENT AND EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL
JUDGES — a new system of evaluating the work aptitudes, work ethics,
courtroom semantics and communication techniques of trial court judges.

The issuance prescribes that, in initial implementation of the System, all first and second level judges shall:

1. List the goals or objectives they intend to attain “within the second (2^nd) semestral period (June 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003)” in the Performance Commitment and Evaluation Form; and
2. Meet with the rater, discuss the merits and doability of the proposed goals, and agree upon the same.

The issuance also directs the raters to submit the accomplished
form to the Office of the Court Administrator “not later than June 30,
2003.”

To afford all Executive Judges and Presiding Judges the time and
opportunity for careful consideration and formulation of their proposed
goals as well as for enlightened discussion of the said goals with their
respective raters, the schedule for the initial implementation of the
System is deferred and re-set,
as follows:

1. At anytime before November 30, 2003, all first and second level
   judges shall list the goals or objectives they intend to attain during
   the first (1^st) semester of 2004 (January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2004) in a matrix similar to that appearing on page 4 of the Performance Commitment and Evaluation Form (copy enclosed);

2. These proposed goals or objectives shall then be discussed
   with the rater. After agreement on the goals and timeframes, the rater
   shall submit a copy of the accomplished matrix to the Office of the
   Court Administrator not later than December 31, 2003; and

3. The first rating period tor the judge’s performance shall be the first semester of 2004 (January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2004).

4. In July of 2004, the ratee shall be rated by the rater in
   accordance with the point system indicated in the Performance Commitment
   and Evaluation Form.

a. For Part I, the rater shall determine whether or not
the goals of the ratee were attained. The rater shall use the format
appearing on page 3 of the Performance Commitment and Evaluation Form.

b. For Part II, the rater shall accomplish the form appearing on pages 5 to 9 of the Performance Commitment and Evaluation Form.

The said form shall be accomplished in triplicate. One copy shall
be given to the ratee and one other copy shall be kept in a
confidential file in the Office of the Executive Judge or the Deputy
Court Administrator in-charge of the ratee. The original shall be
forwarded to the Office of the Court Administrator.

5. It is understood that during the rating period in July of 2004,
   the ratee shall list the goals or objectives he/she intends to attain
   during the second (2^nd) semester of 2004 (July 1, 2004 to
   December 31, 2004) in a matrix similar to that appearing on page 4 of
   the Performance Commitment and Evaluation Form; and shall discuss the
   same with the rater. Thereafter, the same cycle indicated herein shall
   be observed.

September 15, 2003.

	PRESBITERO J. VELASCO, JR.
	Court Administrator