Philippines Bar Exams Commence with Record-Breaking Examinee Numbers

MANILA, Philippines — The Bar examinations started yesterday, with 12,029 law graduates taking the test. This is the highest ever number of applicants and examinees, Bar exam chairman Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan said. Of 14,291 applicants, Gaerlan said 13,441 were officially allowed to take the Bar exams. About 56 percent of the examinees are women. Some of the mothers taking the exam had asked if breast pumps would be allowed in the testing venues, Bar exam head Cheska Ann Pazziuagan said. While examinees are taking the test using laptops, Gaerlan said three were given the handwritten version: a 64-year-old person suffering from an eye ailment, a 49-year-old undergoing therapy for shoulder injury and a 69-year-old who has “limited exposure to computers throughout his life.” Coders are assisting four examinees: a visually impaired person, another suffering from a rare form of meningitis, a 75-year-old struggling with computer literacy and another who lost both arms. An inmate took the exam at an undisclosed testing site with security protocols in place, Gaerlan said. The Bar exams are being administered at 15 testing centers nationwide. In Metro Manila, seven schools are hosting the exams: San Beda College Alabang, New Era University, University of Santo Tomas, San Beda University, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, Manila Adventist College and University of the Philippines-Bonifacio Global City. San Beda College Alabang serves as headquarters for Bar exam operations. Amid heavy rains, Gaerlan said the Bar exam committee could decide to cancel the three-day exam, also set for Sept. 9 and 13, even in one testing center. In Luzon, the exams are being conducted in Cagayan State University, Saint Louis University and University of Nueva Caceres. In the Visayas and Mindanao, the Central Philippines University, University of San Jose-Recoletos, Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation, Ateneo de Davao University and Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology hosted the exams. Six subjects are covered by the exams: political and public international law, commercial and taxation laws, civil law and land titles and deeds, labor law and social legislation, criminal law and remedial law, and legal and judicial ethics, with practical exercises.