As part of its milestone 90th Anniversary celebration, the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) successfully conducted a Legal Conclave with the theme “Uniting Pillars of Legal Excellence” on 27 November 2025 at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel. The OGCC invited the legal department heads, senior lawyers and members of the legal staff of its partner government corporations to the event. About 200 lawyers and legal personnel of various government corporations from different sectors and of the OGCC attended.

The Legal Conclave featured prominent legal luminaries, seasoned government attorneys, and esteemed international practitioners who each shared their invaluable knowledge and experience on important and relevant topics. Government Corporate Counsel Solomon M. Hermosura opened the event by warmly welcoming the speakers and the participants.

The first session featured Supreme Associate Justice Raul B. Villanueva who discussed the “Guidelines in Electronic Filing in the Supreme Court”. This was followed by a presentation on “Best Practices in the Operation of Legal Departments in Government Corporations” by Atty. Marcial Pimentel, Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Home Development Mutual Fund (PAG-IBIG), with the following reactors: Atty. Maria Victoria Yap-Taruc of Clark Development Corporation and Attys. Samuel Escano and Christian Duldulao of the Bases Conversion Development Authority. The last speaker for the morning sessions was Deputy Government Corporate Counsel Aniceto Calubaquib Jr. who talked about the latest “OGCC Operational Guidelines” issued by the Office.

For the afternoon sessions, GCC Hermosura gave a timely talk on “Eternal War: Good Governance vs. Corruption”. This was followed by a pre-recorded video message from H.E. Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya of the Philippine Embassy in The Netherlands who discussed the “Best Practices of International Legal Organizations based in The Hague: Dispute Settlement Mechanisms under the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the relevant Conventions to which the Philippines is a Party under the Hague Conference on Private International Law”. After which, an online discussion on the “Permanent Court of Arbitration: Overview and Mandate” was made by Atty. Sandra Mae T. Magalang, Legal Counsel of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The last speaker was Dr. Raul C. Pangalangan, former Judge of the International Criminal Court, former Dean of the UP College of Law and current Chairperson of the Philippine National Group of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, who shared his experiences on “An Arbitrator’s Viewpoint in Handling Arbitration Cases under the Permanent Court of Arbitration”. Assistant Government Corporate Counsel Manuel F. Santos Jr. gave the Closing Remarks by narrating how the idea of conducting the Legal Conclave was conceptualized.

The event became a venue for the speakers and participants to learn, share, and exchange out-of-the-box ideas, practical knowledge, and significant experiences. At the same time, it also gave them an opportunity for fellowship: a chance to connect and build networks with colleagues as well as strengthen working relations and existing partnerships.