FAITH, discipline, and Thomasian values served as anchors to success in the 2025 Bar examinations, UST Bar passers said during the Faculty of Civil Law’s testimonial dinner on Saturday, Feb. 7.
UST produced four Bar topnotchers, ranking third nationwide, with an overall passing rate 87.16% and a 96.3% passing rate for first-time takers.
UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. led the Eucharistic celebration before the testimonial dinner, urging Bar passers to “set a good example” as they begin their legal careers.
“You are empowered to make a better society. Remember the importance of integrity, humility, and public service as you begin your legal career,” Ang said.
Spinel Declaro, who ranked second in the examination with a 92.46% score, said perseverance and faith carried him through the Bar after failing his first attempt in 2012, calling his journey a testament to “trusting the process.”
“I studied hard and prayed even harder, trusted the process and its plan. At the end of it all, God’s favor turned my bar exam failure to bar exam glory,” Declaro said. “My success is the result of fervent prayers, of a faithful heart, and total surrender to our great Creator. Because of this, I will strive to bring glory to His name in everything I do.”
Civil Law valedictorian Alaiza Adviento, who placed third with a score of 91.91%, described her Bar journey as shaped not by “loneliness, but by community.”
Adviento thanked her family for their support, saying their prayers brought her comfort, strength, and peace during her rigorous preparations.
She encouraged fellow Bar passers to let the Thomasian values be their “trademark” and “distinguishing force.”
“Confidence alone is not enough. But let commitment, integrity, and compassion guide our practice,” she said.
Marc Angelo Santos, a UST Law Alumni Foundation scholar who ranked fifth with a rating of 91.58%, recalled his peers who failed the exam, underscoring that their stories were “still unfolding.”
“I want to say this clearly and with conviction. We may not [have] a 100% passing rate but our batchmates will 100% be future lawyers. Some victories arrive on the first call, some arrive on the next, but delay is not denial,” he said.
Santos, an alumnus of UST Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy, also placed fifth in the 2019 licensure examinations for certified public accountants.
Seventh placer Johann Gata, who scored 90.90% in the Bar examinations, said his ranking came because of “faith in God and faith in the foundation” his professors had built.
“Struggle is proof that you are doing something meaningful and difficult. You don’t have to be exceptional every day, you just need to show up with your best efforts,” Gata said.
Bar passers gathered at the UST Main Building before marching across the Plaza Mayor for a short parade.
The testimonial dinner, titled “Aureum Legatum: The Golden Legacy,” was held at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes O.P. Building lobby.
Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina and Regent Isidro Abaño, O.P., the 2025 Bar chairperson, Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, and UST Law Alumni Foundation President Ronald Moreno were also present. With reports from Sydney Venice V. Berba, Rev E. Dela Cruz and Amador Denzel M. Teston
