Though not a party to the Hague Evidence Convention, the Philippines permits voluntary depositions of willing witnesses, regardless of the nationality of the witness. The Philippines imposes no restrictions nor requirements as to where such depositions can be taken. In addition, for U.S. citizens, the Philippines does not require a visa for stays of under 30 days. By coordinating your Philippines depositions with a capable court reporting firm, you won’t know you’re scheduling outside of the U.S.!
Working with a court reporting firm with a strong presence in Asia (that is reporters, videographers, and interpreters living throughout the region) makes all the difference. The whole process becomes less stressful, as any last-minute details or issues can be handled by a team experienced in coordinating depositions throughout Asia. In most cases, it also means no travel costs for the court reporting team.
Working with local reporters and videographers will also take the cringe out of dealing with exhibits for your depositions in the Philippines. You can email exhibits to the reporter who will have them printed and in the conference room ready to go. The reporter will even arrange for confidential shredding of the exhibits afterwards, as well as provide a certificate of destruction. If you will be participating from the States via videoconference or mobile videoconference , realtime can be streamed to you. If using mobile videoconference to connect to the witness, consider having the videographer act as technician as well, to ensure no interruptions.
If you’re like me, when you think of the Philippines, you think of General Douglas MacArthur’s famous vow to return. He made his celebrated statement in 1942 and delivered on his promise two- and- a-half years later, in October 1944. He actually spent several years in the Philippines, both before and after WWII. Should your work take you there, explore this unique country yourself to discover all it has to offer.
The Banaue Rice Terraces located some 215 miles from Manila (9 hours by bus) are widely considered the Eighth Wonder of the World. These are rice terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in Banaue over 2,000 years ago and still cultivated today using the same techniques handed down from generations. There are numerous hiking trails in the area, making the terraces viewable from every angle. Manila itself has several attractions. The American Cemetery and Memorial honors those who died during WWII and offers a peaceful, reflective retreat from the city. Manila’s Chinatown is the world’s oldest such city and is a great place to eat and shop! If you have ever wanted to try scuba diving (or are an experienced diver), the Philippines offers many excellent diving spots, some suitable for year-round diving!
For additional information on scheduling depositions in the Philippines or throughout Asia, contact Planet Depos International Scheduling at 888-433-3767 or international@planetdepos.com.
