VideoConference Hearing | Philippine Embassy i

GUIDELINES FOR THE CONDUCT OF VIDEOCONFERENCE HEARING AT THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN CAIRO, EGYPT

1 . Pursuant to Part 4 of the Supreme Court of the Philippines’ Administrative Matter No. 24-11-02-SC or the Amendments to the Guidelines on the Conduct of Videoconferencing, the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, Egypt may facilitate the conduct of videoconference hearing (VCH) at its premises at the following address:

Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines

Building 9, Street 215, Sarayat, Maadi

Cairo, Egypt

2 . The requesting party shall submit a written request for the conduct of the VCH, indicating the proposed date and time of the hearing, the name(s) and contact details of the witness(es), the nature and details of the case, and an undertaking to pay the prescribed VCH fees. The request shall be sent to the Embassy through its official email address cairo.pe@dfa.gov.ph, with a copy furnished to the Office of Treaties and Legal Affairs (OTLA), Department of Foreign Affairs, Manila (otla@dfa.gov.ph), at least one (1) month prior to the scheduled hearing.

3. The Embassy can only accommodate VCH requests within its office hours from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (Egypt time), Sundays to Thursdays, except on holidays. Kindly note that Egypt observes Daylight Saving Time during the summer months.

4. The requesting party shall coordinate with the Embassy regarding the VCH schedule and once confirmed, convey the same to the Court so that the latter could reflect the same in the Order to be issued.

5. A copy of the Court Order approving the conduct of the VCH must be sent to the Embassy email cairo.pe@dfa.gov.ph at least two (2) working days prior to the scheduled hearing.

6. The requesting party shall settle the VCH venue rental fee and any other applicable service fees, on or before the date of the approved VCH. No equipment shall be installed or set up until full payment of all applicable fees has been received by the Embassy. An official receipt shall be issued for the following fees that will be paid:

Non-refundable VCH venue rental and administrative fees

(16 sqm x USD 12.00 per DFA D.O. No. 2021-018)- USD 192.00 (EGP 10,358.00)

Certification (upon request) – USD 40.00 (EGP 2,160.00)
Expedite Fee (same day release) – USD 10.00 (EGP 540.00)

7. The Embassy will only provide a suitable room for the conduct of the VCH. The requesting party is responsible for ensuring that their witness is able to bring their own equipment for the VCH, including, but not limited to, the (a) laptop or mobile phone with working camera, speakers and microphone; (b) court-approved VCH platform or app, including the log-in credentials; and (c) mobile internet such as mobile hotspot or portable wireless modem (pocket WiFi).

8. The witness must be at the Embassy premises at least one (1) hour before the scheduled VCH for technical tests and other arrangements. It is the responsibility of the requesting party to ensure the attendance of the witness/es.

9. No companion shall be allowed inside the room unless expressly allowed or ordered by the Court.

10. The role of the Embassy personnel shall be limited only to verifying the identity of the person/s appearing before the VCH through his/her valid passport and/or other valid government-issued identification card.

11. In lieu of a videoconference hearing, parties concerned may consider resorting to other modes of evidence-taking such as deposition through written interrogatories, if such mode/s is/are applicable to the case.

12. The above guidelines shall be strictly complied with. Any deviation from the guidelines shall serve as valid grounds to postpone or cancel the conduct of VCH. Further queries and concerns may be sent to the Embassy’s Consular Section through WhatsApp (+201288951110).