THE UNIVERSITY welcomed 8,701 bar exam takers from all over the country on Sunday, as it hosted the Bar Examinations for the eighth straight year.
In a statement, the Supreme Court said this was the highest number of Bar candidates in recent years. There were 7,290 examinees last year and 6,831 in 2016.
The UST Main Building and the Albertus Magnus, Benavides, San Martin de Porres and St. Raymund de Peñafort buildings are designated as testing venues for the examinations to be held on the four Sundays of November.
— The Varsitarian (@varsitarianust) November 3, 2018
The UST Faculty of Civil Law sent 136 Bar candidates, 124 of which are first-time takers, Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina told the Varsitarian.
Personnel from the UST Security Office, Manila Police District (MPD), Philippine Coast Guard, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, National Bureau of Investigation, Metro Manila Development Authority and Supreme Court security were deployed to implement strict security measures within and outside the campus.
Captain Philipp Ines, public information chief of MPD Station 4, said that some 400 policemen were deployed to the University to ensure peace and order during the examinations.
“Habang papalapit nang papalapit ang end ng [Bar exams], madadagdagan ang mga personnel from different offices to ensure safety,” Ines told the Varsitarian.
UST Security Chief Joseph Badinas said several security measures were implemented to prevent any disruption of the examinations.
“We’re ready for any threat, [whether] natural threats like earthquakes or crimes around the campus. We have the full force of different agencies backing us up,” Badinas said.
A liquor ban will be observed around the campus and a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages will be enforced between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m. during the four Sundays of November.
Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant Ma. Cristina Layusa and the office of Associate Justice Marvic Leonen are in charge of the Bar exams.
The examinations, all essay questions, cover political law, labor law, civil law, taxation, mercantile law, criminal law, remedial law and legal and judicial ethics.
Last year, UST was named the third top-performing school in the 2017 Bar examinations, with three Thomasians landing in the top 10. Former Varsitarian editor in chief Lorenzo Luigi Gayya, placed sixth with a score of 89.10 percent.
The University’s passing rate for first-time takers was 89.89 percent, or 89 out of 99 first-time examinees. UST’s overall passing rate last year was 81.36 percent, or 96 out of 118 examinees.
The national passing rate in 2017 was 25.55 percent or 1,724 out of 6,750 takers. Kevin A. Alabaso
