1.

Regional Trial Courts (Bar 2002, 2008, 2009)

(1) In all civil actions in which the subject of the litigation is incapable of
pecuniary estimation; (Bar 2000, 2003)
(2) In all civil actions which involve the title to, or possession of, real
property, or any interest therein, where the assessed value of the property
involved exceeds Twenty thousand pesos or, for civil actions in Metro Manila,
where such value exceeds Fifty thousand pesos except actions for forcible
entry into and unlawful detainer of lands or buildings, original jurisdiction over
which is conferred upon the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts,
and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts;
(3) In all actions in admiralty and maritime jurisdiction where the
demand or claim exceeds Three hundred thousand pesos or, in Metro Manila,
where such demand or claim exceeds Four hundred thousand pesos;
(4) In all matters of probate, both testate and intestate, where the gross
value of the estate exceeds Three hundred thousand pesos or, in probate
matters in Metro Manila, where such gross value exceeds Four Hundred
thousand pesos;
(5) In all actions involving the contract of marriage and marital
relations;
(6) In all cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of any court,
tribunal, person or body exercising jurisdiction of any court, tribunal, person or
body exercising judicial or quasi-judicial functions;
(7) In all civil actions and special proceedings falling within the
exclusive original jurisdiction of a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and
of the Court of Agrarian Relations as now provided by law; and
(8) In all other cases in which the demand, exclusive of interest, damages of
whatever kind, attorney's fees, litigation expenses, and costs or the value of
the property in controversy exceeds Three hundred thousand pesos or, in
such other cases in Metro Manila, where the demand exclusive of the
abovementioned items exceeds Four Hundred thousand pesos.

Regional Trial Courts shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction in all

criminal cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of any court, tribunal or
body, except those now falling under the exclusive and concurrent jurisdiction
of the Sandiganbayan which shall hereafter be exclusively taken cognizance
of by the latter.
(1) In the issuance of writs of certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo
warranto, habeas corpus and injunction which may be enforced in any part of
their respective regions; and
(2) In actions affecting ambassadors and other public ministers and
consuls.

Regional Trial Courts shall exercise appellate jurisdiction over all cases
decided by Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal
Circuit Trial Courts in their respective territorial jurisdictions. Such cases shall
be decided on the basis of the entire record of the proceedings had in the
 court of origin and such memoranda and/or briefs as may be submitted by the
parties or required by the Regional Trial Courts. The decision of the Regional
Trial Courts in such cases shall be appealable by petition for review to the
Court of Appeals which may give it due course only when the petition shows
prima facie that the lower court has committed an error of fact or law that will
warrant a reversal or modification of the decision or judgment sought to be
reviewed.

The Supreme Court may designate certain branches of the Regional Trial
Courts to handle exclusively criminal cases, juvenile and domestic relations
cases, agrarian cases, urban land reform cases which do not fall under the
jurisdiction of quasi-judicial bodies and agencies, and/or such other special
cases as the Supreme Court may determine in the interest of a speedy and
efficient administration of justice.

Whenever a Regional Trial Court takes cognizance of juvenile and

domestic relation cases and/or agrarian cases, the special rules of procedure
applicable under present laws to such cases shall continue to be applied,
unless subsequently amended by law or by rules of court promulgated by the
Supreme Court (see B.P. 129, as amended).

2. Family Courts
The Family Courts shall have exclusive original jurisdiction to hear and
decide the following cases:
a) Criminal cases where one or more of the accused is below eighteen
(18) years of age but not less than nine (9) years of age but not less than
nine (9) years of age or where one or more of the victims is a minor at the
time of the commission of the offense: Provided, That if the minor is found
guilty, the court shall promulgate sentence and ascertain any civil liability
which the accused may have incurred. The sentence, however, shall be
suspended without need of application pursuant to Presidential Decree
No. 603, otherwise known as the "Child and Youth Welfare Code";

b) Petitions for guardianship, custody of children, habeas corpus in

relation to the latter;

c) Petitions for adoption of children and the revocation thereof;

d) Complaints for annulment of marriage, declaration of nullity of marriage

and those relating to marital status and property relations of husband and
wife or those living together under different status and agreements, and
petitions for dissolution of conjugal partnership of gains;

e) Petitions for support and/or acknowledgment;

 f) Summary judicial proceedings brought under the provisions of Executive
Order No. 209, otherwise known as the "Family Code of the Philippines";

g) Petitions for declaration of status of children as abandoned, dependent

o neglected children, petitions for voluntary or involuntary commitment of
children; the suspension, termination, or restoration of parental authority
and other cases cognizable under Presidential Decree No. 603, Executive
Order No. 56, (Series of 1986), and other related laws;

h) Petitions for the constitution of the family home;

i) Cases against minors cognizable under the Dangerous Drugs Act, as

amended;

j) Violations of Republic Act No. 7610, otherwise known as the "Special

Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and
Discrimination Act," as amended by Republic Act No. 7658; and

k) Cases of domestic violence against:

1) Women - which are acts of gender-based violence that results,
or are likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or
suffering to women; and other forms of physical abuse such as
battering or threats and coercion which violate a woman's
personhood, integrity and freedom movement; and

2) Children - which include the commission of all forms of abuse,

neglect, cruelty, exploitation, violence, and discrimination and all
other conditions prejudicial to their development.

If an act constitutes a criminal offense, the accused or batterer shall be

subject to criminal proceedings and the corresponding penalties.

If any question involving any of the above matters should arise as an

incident in any case pending in the regular courts, said incident shall be
determined in that court (Sec.5, Republic Act No. 8369).

3. Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts

in Cities, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts (Bar 2002, 2010)
(1) 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
Three hundred thousand pesos or, in Metro Manila where such personal
property, estate, or amount of the demand does not exceed Four hundred
thousand pesos, 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, further, That where there are several claims or causes of
actions between the same or different parties, embodied in the same
complaint, the amount of the demand shall be the totality of the claims in all
the causes of action, irrespective of whether the causes of action arose out of
the same or different transactions;

(2) over cases of forcible entry and unlawful detainer: Provided, that
when, in such cases, the defendant raises the questions of ownership in his
pleadings and the question of possession cannot be resolved without
deciding the issue of ownership, the issue of ownership shall be resolved only
to determine the issue of possession; and

(3) in all civil actions which involve title to, or possession of, real
property, or any interest therein where the assessed value of the property or
interest therein does not exceed Twenty thousand pesos or, in civil actions in
Metro Manila, where such assessed value does not exceed Fifty thousand
pesos exclusive of interest, damages of whatever kind, attorney's fees,
litigation expenses and costs: Provided, That in cases of land not declared for
taxation purposes, the value of such property shall be determined by the
assessed value of the adjacent lots.

Except in cases falling within the exclusive original jurisdiction of Regional

Trial Courts and of the Sandiganbayan, the Metropolitan Trial Courts,
Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise
exclusive original jurisdiction:
(1) over all violations of city or municipal ordinances committed within
their respective territorial jurisdiction; and
(2) over all offenses punishable with imprisonment not exceeding six
years irrespective of the amount of fine, and regardless of other imposable
accessory or other penalties, including the civil liability arising from such
offenses or predicated thereon, irrespective of kind, nature, value or amount
thereof: Provided, however, That in offenses involving damage to property
through criminal negligence, they shall have exclusive original jurisdiction
thereof.

Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit

Trial Courts may be assigned by the Supreme Court to hear and determine
cadastral or land registration cases covering lots where there is no
controversy or opposition, or contested lots where the value of which does not
exceed One hundred thousand pesos, such value to be ascertained by the
affidavit of the claimant or by agreement of the respective claimants if there
are more than one, or from the corresponding tax declaration of the real
property. Their decisions in these cases shall be appealable in the same
manner as decisions of the Regional Trial Courts.
 In the absence of all the Regional Trial Judges in a province or city, any
Metropolitan Trial Judge, Municipal Trial Judge, Municipal Circuit Trial Judge
may hear and decide petitions for a writ of habeas corpus or applications for
bail in criminal cases in the province or city where the absent Regional Trial
Judges sit.