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JURISDICTION OF COURTS
IN CIVIL CASES

A) Jurisdiction of the MTC, MeTC, MCTC and

MTCC under B. P. Blg. 129 as amended by R. A. No.
7691 and R. A. No. 11576.
R. A. No. 11576 was signed by the President on July
30, 2021 and would have taken effect 15 days after its
publication. The amendments introduced by R. A. No.
11576 are underlined.
Section 33. Jurisdiction of Metropolitan Trial Courts,
Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts
in Civil Cases. – Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial
Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise:

(1) 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 Two million pesos
(P2,000,000.00), 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,

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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) Exclusive original jurisdiction 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) Exclusive original jurisdiction 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 Four hundred
thousand pesos (P400,000.00), 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."
(4) Exclusive original jurisdiction in admiralty and
maritime actions where the demand or claim does not
exceed Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00).

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Section 34. Delegated Jurisdiction in Cadastral and

Land Registration Cases. – 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 (P100,000.00), 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."
Section 35. Special jurisdiction in certain cases. – 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.
***
B) Jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Courts under
B. P. Blg. 129 as amended by R. A. 7691.
Section 19. Jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Courts
in Civil Cases. – Regional Trial Courts shall exercise
exclusive original jurisdiction:

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(1) In all civil actions in which the subject of the

litigation is incapable of pecuniary estimation;
(2) In all civil actions which involve the title to, or
possession of, real property, or any interest therein, where
the assessed value exceeds Four hundred thousand pesos
(P400,000,00), except for forcible entry into and unlawful
detainer of lands or buildings, original jurisdiction of which
is conferred upon the Metropolitan Trial Courts, and
Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, Municipal Trial Courts,
and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts;
(3) In all actions in admiralty and maritime
jurisdiction where the demand or claim exceeds Two
million pesos (P2,000,000.00);
(4) In all matters of probate, both testate and intestate,
where the gross value of the estate exceeds Two million
pesos (P2,000,000.00);
(5) In all actions involving the contract of marriage
and marital relations; (Repealed by Section 5(d) of R. A.
No.8369, The Family Courts Act of 1997.)
(6) In all cases not within the exclusive 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

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Relations as now provided by law; and (Repealed by

Section 5 of R. A. No. 8369.
(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 Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00)."
Section 21. Original jurisdiction in other cases. –
Regional Trial Courts shall exercise original jurisdiction:
(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.
Section 22. Appellate jurisdiction. – 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

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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.
Section 23. Special jurisdiction to try special cases. –
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.
Section 3 of R. A. No. 11576 introduces a new
provision, to wit:
SEC. 3. Delegated Authority of the Supreme Court to
Adjust the Jurisdictional Amounts for First and Second
Level Courts. – The Supreme Court, unless otherwise
provided by law, without prejudice, however, on the part of
the Congress to adjust the amounts when the circumstances
so warrant, may adjust the jurisdictional amount for first
and second level courts to: (1) reflect the extraordinary
supervening inflation or deflation of currency; (2) reflect
change in the land valuation; or (3) maintain the proportion
of caseload between first and second level courts.
***

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C) Jurisdiction of the Family Courts under R. A.

No. 8369, otherwise known as The Family Courts Act of
1997.
Section 5. Jurisdiction of Family Courts. - The
Family Courts shall have exclusive original jurisdiction to
hear and decide the following cases:
(a) x x x x;
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 or neglected children, petitions
for voluntary or involuntary commitment of children;

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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;
(Inapplicable)
i) x x x x;
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.

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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.
***
D) Jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals under B. P.
Blg. 129 as amended by R. A. 7902.
Sec. 9. Jurisdiction. — The Court of Appeals shall
exercise:
(1) Original jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus,
prohibition, certiorari, habeas corpus, and quo
warranto, and auxiliary writs or processes, whether or
not in aid of its appellate jurisdiction;
(2) Exclusive original jurisdiction over actions for
annulment of judgment of Regional Trial Courts; and
(3) Exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all final
judgments, decisions, resolutions, orders or awards of
Regional Trial Courts and quasi-judicial agencies,
instrumentalities, boards or commissions, including
the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Social
Security Commission, the Employees Compensation

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Commission and the Civil Service Commission,

except those falling within the appellate jurisdiction of
the Supreme Court in accordance with the
Constitution, the Labor Code of the Philippines under
Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended, the
provisions of this Act, and of subparagraph (1) of the
third paragraph and subparagraph (4) of the fourth
paragraph of Section 17 of the Judiciary Act of 1948.
The Court of Appeals shall have the power to try cases
and conduct hearings, receive evidence and perform any
and all acts necessary to resolve factual issues raised in
cases falling within its original and appellate jurisdiction,
including the power to grant and conduct new trials or
further proceedings. Trials or hearings in the Court of
Appeals must be continuous and must be completed within
three (3) months, unless extended by the Chief Justice." (As
amended by R. A, No. 7902)
***
E) Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under R. A.
No. 296 (The Judiciary Act of 1948) as amended by R.
A. No. 5440.
Sec. 17. Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The
Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction over cases
affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls;
and original and exclusive jurisdiction in petitions for the

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issuance of writs of certiorari, prohibition and mandamus

against the Court of Appeals.
In the following cases, the Supreme Court shall
exercise original and concurrent jurisdiction with Regional
Trial Courts :
1. In petition for the issuance of writs of certiorari,
prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas
corpus; and
2. In actions brought to prevent and restrain violations
of law concerning monopolies and combinations in
restraint of trade.
The Supreme Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction
to review, revise, reverse, modify or affirm on appeal, as
the law or rules of court may provide, final judgments and
decrees of inferior courts as herein provided, in
(1) All criminal cases involving offenses for which the
penalty imposed is death or life imprisonment; and
those involving other offenses which, although not so
punished, arose out of the same occurrence or which
may have been committed by the accused on the same
occasion, as that giving rise to the more serious
offense, regardless of whether the accused are charged
as principals, accomplices or accessories, or whether
they have been tried jointly or separately;

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(2) All cases involving petitions for naturalization or

denaturalization; and
(3) All decisions of the Auditor General, if the
appellant is a private person or entity.
The Supreme Court shall further have exclusive
jurisdiction to review, revise, reverse, modify or affirm on
certiorari as the law or rules of court may provide, final
judgments and decrees of inferior courts as herein
provided, in
(1) All cases in which the constitutionality or validity
of any treaty, law, ordinance, or executive order or
regulation is in question;
(2) All cases involving the legality of any tax, impost,
assessment or toil, or any penalty imposed in relation
thereto;
(3) All cases in which the jurisdiction of any inferior
court is in issue;
(4) All other cases in which only errors or questions of
law are involved: Provided, however, That if, in
addition to constitutional, tax or jurisdictional
questions, the cases mentioned in the three next
preceding paragraphs also involve questions of fact or
mixed questions of fact and law, the aggrieved party
shall appeal to the Court of Appeals; and the final
judgment or decision of the latter may be reviewed,

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revised, reversed, modified or affirmed by the

Supreme Court on writ of certiorari; and
(5) Final awards, judgments, decisions, or orders of
the Commission on Elections, Court of Tax Appeals,
Court of Industrial Relations, the Public Service
Commission and the Workmen's Compensation
Commission.
***

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