Bar Examinations 2024: Over 10T hopefuls

CEBU, Philippines — Waving their props and tarps, supporters from different schools gathered yesterday at the University of San Jose-Recoletos Basak Campus to cheer for their respective examinees, at the start of the bar examinations here in Cebu City.

According to the Supreme Court, 10,483 examinees showed up for the first day of the 2024 Bar Examinations, or almost a hundred more of the 10,387 who took the first day of the Bar Exams in 2023.

Of the 10,483 bar examinees, 1,055 took the first day of the bar exams at the USJ-R Basak Campus, Cebu City, which is one of the 13 testing centers nationwide.

For yesterday, the examinees answered questions on Political Law and Public International Law in the morning and Commercial Law and Taxation Law in the afternoon.

For day 2 on Wednesday, (September 11), they would hurdle Civil Law in the morning and Labor Law and Social Legislations in the afternoon; and for day 3 on this Sunday (September 15), it will be Criminal Law in the morning and Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises in the afternoon.

In its Facebook page, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Cebu City Chapter, led by its president Atty. Rosendo Gimbo Hernaez III and Executive Director for Legal Aid Atty. Mary Grace Hermosa Casano, together with Atty. Lorie Archival and Atty. John Majed Ungab, delivering 250 breakfast and lunch packed meals to the hardworking local bar exam personnel, including the security, medical staff, and the support teams who had to be at the local testing site as early as 3 a.m.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez, 2024 Bar Examinations Committee chairman, said in a press conference in Manila that 12,246 applicants originally applied to take the exams but there were those who did not graduate or have encountered unforeseen circumstances that led to their withdrawal.

Lopez said that of the total number of this year’s examinees, 5, 234 are new applicants, 4,060 are previous takers, and 1,189 are refreshers.

Females also outnumber males, 6,108 to 4,375. There are also 155 senior citizens and 313 examinees with special needs among the examinees. The youngest examinee is 23 years old, while the oldest is 78.

Aside from Cebu City, the other sites and their corresponding number of examinees, are as follows: 1) University of the Philippines- Diliman in Quezon City (1,023); 2) University of Santo Tomas in Sampaloc, Manila (785); 3) San Beda University in San Miguel, Manila (1,455); 4) Manila Adventist College in Pasay City (438); 5) University of the Philippines-Bonifacio Global City in Taguig (739); 6) San Beda College Alabang in Muntinlupa City (579);

7) Saint Louis University in Baguio City (1,158); 8) University of Nueva Caceres in Naga City, Camarines Sur (527); 9) University of San Jose-Recoletos, Basak Campus in Cebu City (1,055); 10) Central Philippine University in Jaro, Iloilo City (582); 11) Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation in Tacloban City (461); 12) Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City (598); and 13) Ateneo de Davao University in Bangkal, Davao City (1,081).

Deployed across all 13 local testing centers nationwide to ensure the smooth conduct of the exams are 2,316 personnel.

Just like the previous three bar exams, the current bar exams are digitalized and regionalized. Its result is tentatively scheduled in early December, while the oath taking and signing of the Roll of Attorneys are scheduled on January 24, 2025.

Last year, 3,812 out of 10,387 examinees passed the Bar exams, registering a passing rate of 33.77 percent. —/RHM (FREEMAN)