Alternative Dispute Resolution Program in the Executive Department
Executive Order 523 was instituted to promote the use of alternative modes of dispute resolution such as, but not limited to, mediation, conciliation and arbitration as part of their practice in resolving disputes filed before them. All agencies under the Office of the President are mandated to develop, implement and institutionalize an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program, and report its progress annually to the President. As such, all agencies are required to name at least 2 ADR specialists. In line with this, the CoRe Group worked with the Office of the President to train ADR Specialists in the skills necessary to perform their function and to assist in the design of an ADR framework in their respective agencies. Scholarships were awarded to 270 officials of from the Executive Department. They underwent a rigorous 3-week capacity-building program and 6 months of workshops. Alternative Dispute Resolution Program at the Department of Education A total of 452 mediators from all regions were trained at the Department of Education to assist in the speedy resolution of internal disputes. This year-long project ended with the drafting of an ADR framework and policy designed by the DEPED Technical Working Group and supported by the CoRe Group.

Internal Dispute Resolution Program at the OPAPP
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) sought the assistance of the CoRe Group to make their existing grievance mechanism more adept to the needs of the employees. Following a series of consultations with employees and the management, a team from the OPAPP designed an Internal Dispute Resolution System (IDRS) that incorporates mediation into the grievance mechanism. The new system enhanced the existing grievance guidelines with mediation tools while adhering to the basic rules set by the Civil Service Commission.

ADR at the Commission on Human Rights
A successful pilot program was implemented in NCR consisting of a training program for new mediators. The pilot program included consultations among stakeholders in the design of an ADR framework for disputes involving internal and external stakeholders of CHR.

ADR at the Office of the Ombudsman
A comprehensive program was developed to institutionalize mediation at the Office of the Ombudsman that included training of over 110 mediators across the country and consultations for the drafting of operational guidelines for the new mediation unit.

Office of the President (Executive Order 523)
The CoRe Group successfully trained over 270 ADR Specialists from over 150 agencies under the Office of the President. Internship programs, where trainees were made to mediate live cases, resulted in the following success rates from the following agencies: 96% in the DTI, 100% in the NLRC, and 94% in POEA. This program also led to the record zero-backlog of trade-related cases at the DTI-NCR- the first time in 20 years. This program resulted to the installation of an ADR system in many agencies.

Cooperative Development Agency
The CoRe Group conducted a series of dialogues among representatives of cooperatives nationwide which resulted to the drafting of a memorandum circular instituting ADR in all cooperatives nationwide. A critical element of the program is the enhancement of the skills of conflict resolvers in over 50,000 cooperatives. A unique distance education program was produced to reach a massive audience at the most cost-effective means.

ADR in Business Program Development Series
The CoRe Group led the business community in devising strategies to expedite the resolution of trade cases. Nine (9) of the largest business organizations were engaged by CoRe in the signing of a covenant for the promotion of ADR in the private sector and the establishment of National Center for Mediation (NCM) These apex organizations include the following: Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI), Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Inc. (FFCCII), Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), Chamber of Commerce Philippines Foundation (CCPF), Philippine Exporters Confederation (PhilExport), Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), and Personnel Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP). To date, there have been over 160 business mediators trained by the CoRe Group in 8 NCM chapters across the country, namely in NCR, Baguio, Clark, Cavite, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Cagayan de Oro. The NCM has undergone public information campaigns, with the support of the CoRe Group, to promote the mediation services. The center was formally launched in October 18, 2006 during the Philippine Business Conference.

Various research methodologies were employed to ensure effective consultation with all identified stakeholders of the SME sub-sector with the following project objectives:

• Review of the current government programs designed to assist in the conflict resolution of SME
• Analyze the capability of various SME Associations to assist in the conflict resolution requirements of the SME
• Mapping out of conflicts within the SME subsector and quantify its effects on the productivity of the businesses
• Pinpoint the high-risk areas for conflict and determine how they can be addressed
• Outline a plan to strengthen the conflict management support systems available for the SME either through policy or system enhancements.

The study culminated in the development of a Conflict Resolution Framework deemed acceptable, accessible and cost-effective for all stakeholders of the sub-sector.