MANILA -- The 2023 Bar Examinations came to a successful conclusion, with 10,387 of the original 10,791 Bar applicants expected to arrive for the 2023 Bar Examinations, or equivalent to a 96.26% turnout, hurdling all three days of the professional licensure exams for future lawyers.
“I am overwhelmed by the smooth, peaceful, and orderly turnout of the 2023 Bar Examinations. It was more than what I hoped and envisioned it would be. Indeed, it was a smashing success,” said Supreme Court Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, 2023 Bar Examinations Chairperson.
Raising the bar for this year‟s Bar Examinations, Justice Hernando made sure that this year‟s regionalized and digitalized Bar was accessible and inclusive to all examinees, including those with special needs, to take the Exams under exceptional accommodations.
Conducted in 14 local testing centers (LTCs) nationwide, the Bar Exams on the last day were on Criminal Law; and Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises.
Ensuring accessibility and inclusivity
This year‟s Bar Examinations was a testament to Justice Hernando‟s commitment to promote accessibility and inclusivity within the framework of a digitalized and regionalized Bar Examinations, in line with the institutional objectives of the Supreme Court.
Upon the recommendation of Justice Hernando as 2023 Bar Examinations Chairperson, the Court, through separate issuances, and after carefully considering the highly exceptional circumstances surrounding the applicants, allowed select examinees with special needs to take this year‟s Examinations under exceptional accommodations, either through the traditional handwritten modality, with an encoder‟s assistance, or with the use of the novel Digital Booklet Method.
In Bar Matter No. 4399, a visually impaired examinee was allowed to take the test through the use of the Digital Booklet Method for the 2023 Bar, where a Court-issued laptop with installed Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) served as his examination booklet. The said examinee, with the aid of NVDA, completed all three days of the examinations at the local testing center in Ateneo de Davao University.
The examinee finished law school through the use of software programs like NVDA and OpenBook. NVDA, in particular, is a screen reader that “reads aloud” scanned text of his books and testing booklets, enabling the examinee to study his books and take his exams through ear reading.
While it was not the first time that an individual with visual impairment was allowed to take the Bar exams, it was the first time that the Court permitted the use of NVDA application. There have been visually impaired Bar applicants admitted in the past years who took the tests with the assistance of a special encoder.
The Bar applicant who took the 2020/21 Bar Examinations and one of the two applicants who took the 2022 Bar Examinations passed and are now full-fledged lawyers.
In Bar Matter No. 4277, the Court allowed an examinee to take the Examinations in San Beda College – Alabang (SBCA) with the assistance of a special encoder because of his visual impairment due to Opthalmic Meningitis.
In Bar Matter No. 4662, the Court also allowed other examinees, who are senior citizens and suffering from varying physical disabilities, to take the Examinations through the traditional and handwritten modality in the LTCs in SBCA, Muntinlupa City; University of San Jose - Recoletos, Cebu City; and University of Nueva Caceres, Naga City.
The oldest Bar examinee this year was an 86-year old applicant who took the tests in SBCA, while the youngest was a 23-year old applicant assigned to the University of the Philippines – Bonifacio Global City LTC in Taguig City.
Passing the Torch
Justice Hernando relived the accomplishments of Bar Team Hernando and expressed his deep gratitude to all who helped in making the 2023 Bar Exams a “smashing success” before he formally passed the torch to Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez, incoming 2024 Bar Examinations Chairperson, at the Turnover Ceremonies held at St. Maur‟s Hall in SBCA yesterday, September 24.
Among others, Justice Hernando took pride in the Condensed Bar Schedule, which shortened the original four-Sunday-schedule, single-site modality, and packed it into three days instead. He also confirmed that before Christmas day this year, the Bar results would be released and that the new lawyers would have also taken their oath and signed the Roll of Attorneys.
Imbued with gratitude, Justice Hernando said he could not thank Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo and the other Members of the Court enough for all their support throughout the Bar Examinations. He stressed that his colleagues‟ visits and presence in the LTCs “meant so much to the examinees.”
Justice Hernando also thanked his Bar Team Hernando, headed by Atty. Ma. Theresa Carmina E. Vivar-Lising, who he said had been “absolutely „extra‟ in all things that they have been assigned to do, and is never mediocre in all respects.” He praised his team, stating that: “I am both proud and humbled by all the things you can accomplish, and for having you as my staff. Thank you for executing my very exact thoughts, for attending to my instructions regardless of the day or time of day, for always going above and beyond the call of duty, and for shielding me from all the worries and anxieties, just because all of you have been so exceedingly competent, trustworthy, and hardworking.”
He turned emotional when he acknowledged his wife, Judge Cherry Chiara L. Hernando of the Calumpit, Bulacan Municipal Trial Court, and their daughter Bea.
The 2023 Bar Examinations Chairperson concluded his message by wishing his successor all the best in the Bar Exams next year. He said: “To quip the Game of Thrones: „Our Watch has ended.‟ Your time Justice Mario Lopez has come. It will be long, it might push you to the edge, but it will all be over before you know it. I know that you can do it, probably even better than we or anyone could have done it, and I hope you will thoroughly enjoy your stint as the Bar Chair as much as I have. You have my unbounded support in continuing the Court‟s legacy of a regionalized and digitalized Bar examinations. I wish you the best in the coming Bar year.”
For his part, Justice Lopez congratulated Justice Hernando for the success of the 2023 Bar Examinations. “You did not only do it, but you did it with superlative quality.” Justice Lopez added that he is hopeful that with the support of the Court En Banc, officials, employees, and the academe, the 2024 Bar Examinations will comparably be successful.
Chief Justice Gesmundo also extended his congratulations to Justice Hernando and his team for the successful conclusion of the 2023 Bar Examinations. He said: “Indeed, Associate Justice Mon Hernando did an exemplary job in making this year‟s Bar a more meaningful experience for our future lawyers.”
Witnessing the Turnover Ceremonies were Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, Justice Mario V. Lopez, Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, Justice Japar B. Dimaampao, Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, Justice Antonio T. Kho, Jr., and Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh.
Also present were retired Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, Court of Appeals Acting Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, Court of Tax Appeals Presiding Justice Roman G. Del Rosario, retired Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe, and other Court officials.
Muntinlupa City Mayor Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon, Muntinlupa City Vice Mayor Hon. Artemio A. Simundac, and Justice Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez were also present.
All announcements regarding the 2023 Bar Examinations may be viewed on its microsite at the Supreme Court website: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/bar-2023/. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)
