PSC renews tandem with PDRCI on sports arbitration

THE PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) renewed its partnership with the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. (PDRCI) to strengthen the agency’s pursuit for fair and efficient sports arbitration in the country.

PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann and PDRCI Acting President Rogelio Nicandro formally signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Thursday.

“Since 2021, our collaboration with PDRCI has helped the PSC in carrying out our mandate in fostering a culture of fairness and accountability within our national sports associations. By renewing our partnership, we are reinforcing our dedication to providing athletes and stakeholders with a reliable and efficient avenue for dispute resolution,” said Mr. Bachmann.

Among the agreement’s objectives is to institutionalize and implement a sports Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) policy especially for national sports associations that will ensure fast and cost-effective resolution of sports-related disputes using flexible rule-guided procedure.

“We are excited to renew our partnership with the PSC which we firmly believe is beneficial to our athletes, the NSAs, and all other stakeholders in Philippine sports,” said PDRCI Executive Director Arleo Magtibay, Jr.

“As we provide a venue where disputes may be settled amicably and expeditiously, our athletes and officials may focus more on their training and competitions and bring glory to the country.”

The sports agency previously approved a policy applicable to all NSAs which requires and directs them to submit an Arbitration Provision to the PSC, as part of their Articles of Incorporation (AOI) and Bylaws, and pursuant to Section 181 of R.A. No. 11232 or the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines.

Further collaboration in all activities highlighting the benefits of ADR, including webinars, seminars, lectures and other information dissemination and training activities, were also committed by both agencies.

Present at the signing were PSC Commissioner Matthew “Fritz” Gaston and Executive Director Paulo Francisco Tatad, together with PDRCI Chairman Victor Lazatin, Sports Arbitration Committee Chairman Charlie Ho, and Dondi Gaston.