The Court of Appeals was organized on February 1, 1936, by Commonwealth Act No. 3. It was initially composed of a Presiding Judge and 10 Appellate Judges appointed by the President. Today, the Court of Appeals is composed of one Presiding Justice and 68 Associate Justices. It is vested with jurisdiction over appeals from the decisions of Regional Trial Courts and certain quasi-judicial agencies, boards, or commissions.

Commonwealth Act. No. 259, passed in March, 1938, changed the designation of the Appellate Judges to Justices and their number was increased from 11 to 15. Executive Order No. 395, issued on December 24, 1941, increased the membership of the Court to 19 Justices. The Court functioned during the Japanese occupation but in March, 1945, due to abnormal conditions at the time, it was abolished by President Sergio Osmeña through Executive Order No. 37.

Republic Act No. 52, passed on October 4, 1946, recreated the Court of Appeals with a Presiding Justice and 14 Associate Justices. Republic Act No. 1605, passed on August 23, 1956, increased the number of Justices to 18. The Court was further expanded to 45 Justices under Presidential Decree No. 1482, issued on June 10, 1978.

The Court of Appeals was named Intermediate Appellate Court and its membership enlarged to 51 Justices under the Judiciary Reorganization, but on July 28, 1986, President Corazon C. Aquino issued Executive Order No. 33 restoring the original name of the Court of Appeals. On July 22, 1996, Congress enacted Republic Act No. 8246 creating six more divisions in the Court of Appeals.

We congratulate the Court of Appeals, headed by Presiding Justice Ruben T. Reyes, Associate Justice, Officers, and Personnel, on the occasion of its 70th Anniversary and wish them success in all their endeavors.