BY ASANGAN T. MADALE
The 2022 Bar Examinations has come to a successful conclusion today, with 9,183 of the 10,006 applicants who participated in the venue selection (91.77%) hurdling all four days of the grueling exams for future lawyers.
Based on the Supreme Court Public Information Office stated that all 9,183 examinees took the examinations on Remedial Law I and Remedial Law II (with Basic Tax Remedies) and Legal Ethics. Data released by the Office of the Bar Chair showed that only 9,184 of the 9,190 who completed the third day of the Bar Examinations showed up for the last day of the Bar Examinations in the morning.
A total of 9,207 candidates completed the exams on Political Law and International Law (with related Tax Principles) and Labor Law on the first day of the Examinations last November 9.
On Day 2, November 13, 2022, 9,196 bar examinees completed the tests on Criminal Law (and Practical Exercises and Commercial Law while on the third day, November 16, 2022, 9,190 examinees finished the tests on Civil Law I and Civil Law II (and Practical Exercises).
In an earlier Bar bulletin, Caguioa said the 2022 Bar exams will cover eight subjects and adopt a three examiner policy. The Supreme Court also released its syllabi on Remedial Law and Legal Ethics, Political and International Law; Criminal Law; Labor Law and Social Legislation ; Civil Law and Mercantile Law.
As this developed, Supreme Court Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, 2022 Bar Examinations Chairperson, formally passed the torch to Supreme Court Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando as the incoming 2023 Bar Examinations Chairperson during the Turnover Ceremonies held at the International Residence Hall Cafeteria, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
Justice Caguioa profusely thanked his staff and all Bar personnel who had contributed to the success of the 2022 Bar Examinations. “Your hard work made possible the nationwide conduct of the Bar Exams. I hope that you know that each one of you has been vital in the success of this year’s Bar Examinations,” he stressed. “To my hardworking staff, I cannot thank you enough. Each of you stepped up.” He also expressed his gratitude to the Members of the Court and the law schools deans for their support.
For his part, Justice Hernando said that the next Bar Examinations will be held in September 2023 and condensed into a three-day examinations spread across a week. He commended Justice Caguioa and his team. “I wish to extend my congratulations to Justice Caguioa and his hardworking staff for steering to success the 2022 Bar Examinations. He stressed that the Court has already “set the gold standard for professional licensure examinations” with the digitalized and regionalized Bar Examinations.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo also extended his congratulations and said that the digitalized and regionalized Bar Examinations had given a fair and equal chance for everyone. “Let me congratulate Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa and his team for taking our big leap towards bar reform another step forward. Indeed, through our new modality, we have significantly given our examinees a more level playing field, and as the Ateneo prayer goes, “a chance equal with those in the strife,” he said.
Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, 2020/21 Bar Examinations, also gave a message. He congratulated Justice Caguioa and his entire team for this year’s very successful Bar Examinations.
Also present were Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez, Associate Justice Ricardo R. Rosario, Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, and Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh. Assistant Court Administrator and Public Information Office Chief Atty. Brian Keith F. Hosaka hosted the hybrid turnover ceremonies, which was also attended by law school deans.
The 2022 Bar Examinations were held in 14 local testing centers in the National Capital Region (1. San Beda University; 2. De La Salle University; 3. Manila Adventist College; 4. Ateneo de Manila University; 5. University of the Philippines – Bonifacio Global City); Luzon (6. Saint Louis University; 7. De La Salle Lipa; 8. University of Nueva Caceres); the Visayas (9. University of Cebu; 10. University of San Carlos; 11. Dr. Vicente Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation); and Mindanao (12 .Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan; 13. Ateneo de Davao University; and 14. Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
All announcements regarding the 2022 Bar Examinations may be viewed at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/bar-20221.
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