The court facilities in Cabanutuan City, Tarlac City and Nueva Ecija was inspected by the Supreme Court (SC) Oversight Committee over the General Maintenance of the Philippine Halls of Justice (Oversight Committee), chaired by SC Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando.

The visitation of the facilities was in consonance with the reassurance to judges and administrative concerns by the high court.

The ocular inspection was conducted with the Office of the Regional Court Manager

(ORCM) for the Third Judicial Region.

On 3 July, Justice Hernando inspected the three sites of the first- and second level courts of Cabanatuan City and its facilities: the San Juan ACCFA Hall of Justice, Family Court Branch 8, and the Regional Trial Court Hall of Justice in the Old Capitol Compound. He also met with Nueva Ecija judges to discuss the main challenges and concerns of their courts.

The next day, Justice Hernando inspected the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Victoria-Lapaz, Tarlac and the first- and second-level courts in the Tarlac City Hall of Justice.

A dialogue was later held at the Tarlac Capitol Center with trial court judges of Tarlac Province, Provincial Governor Christian A. Yap, and Vice Governor Estelita M. Aquino. They discussed current issues faced by the trial courts, and the planned establishment of a new Tarlac City Hall of Justice.

During the two-day visit, Justice Hernando highlighted the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027 (SPJI) not only reassured judges that administrative concerns including minor repairs and supply needs, will be addressed by the ORCM.

Justice Hernando was joined by Regional Court Manager for the Third Judicial Region Atty. Joevanni A. Villanueva, members of the Committee’s Secretariat and the ORCM, and a representative from the SC Office on Halls of Justice.

Justice Hernando’s visit is part of the Oversight Committee’s mandate to monitor, assess, and document the infrastructure and general maintenance of the Halls of Justice in the country, in line with the SPJI’s goal of ensuring timely and fair justice.

The Committee previously conducted ocular inspections of the Halls of Justice

in Manila; Bacolod City and San Carlos City, Negros Occidental; Ilagan City, Isabela; Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; San Fernando City, La Union; and Urdaneta City and Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

Hernando ended the trip with a visit to the construction site of the new Tarlac City Hall of Justice in Barangay San Isidro. The project is a joint effort of the SC and the Provincial Government of Tarlac.