Abogados, Avocados & Dreams Come True: What Really Happens When Bar Exam Results Come Out

(SPOT.ph) The Philippines can officially welcome 3,812 new attorneys after the Supreme Court released the results today, December 5. At a 36.77% passing rate overall—10,387 took the bar—this year might be lower than the last, but that doesn't mean we haven't got good things to look forward to from our new batch of lawyers.

Over at Padre Faura, you could get a sample of what it is we can anticipate from the freshly minted attorneys. The air was tense, thick with anticipation, for the hour that the bar takers and media were allowed into the Supreme Court's courtyard to wait for the announcement. You could spot all sorts of people eagerly waiting in the sun: family members who had made the journey from faraway (complete with tarps!), friends who were helping keep the anxious bar taker calm, older lawyers who wanted to take in the scene, and more.

And when the results finally came scrolling down the large LED screens around the area, it was soon followed by cries, laughter, weeping, sobbing, cheers; arguably the whole spectrum of emotions rang through the Supreme Court today. We chat with some of the new attorneys below.

Also read: Palawan State University's First Bar Topnotcher Is Here to Prove a Point

Scenes from the bar results 2023 at the Supreme Court

Mom-and-Daughter CPA Duo

Rhoma Arciaga, by virtue of her last name, was one of the first to cheer in the crowd as her name scrolled past on the screen. Together with her mom and cousin, they formed a happy circle—a moment that was especially sweet for her mom, Analisa, who is also a CPA Lawyer. 

Arciaga tells us that yes, it was her mom who first suggested she be a lawyer, but she eventually realized that she wanted it too; "maging helpful sa community." A fresh graduate of San Beda College Alabang, she had just three months to review before taking the bar in September. "Challenging kasi madami pong aaralin tapos konti lang alloted time." In the end though, it was all "worth it, sobra."

The trio had come all the way from Cavite, even checking in somewhere nearby, just to make sure they get the results straight from the source. As her mother laughingly says, "Pag naghihintay ka pala dito, nakakanginig," explaining that she had only heard her own results from others back in her day. 

Also read: Not All's Fair in Love: Lawyers Should Not Date Their Clients

From Computer Science to Attorney

Donald Adrian M. Castillo had no plans of going all the way to Padre Faura to find out whether or not he had passed—until his parents decided it was a must. We had chatted with the family a bit before the Supreme Court released the results, and you could tell Castillo was deeply anxious. So you can only imagine the immense validation as all three watched see his name come down on the screen of bar passers. 

Castillo already had a degree in Computer Science when he decided what he really wanted was to be a lawyer. At the time, he was working in cybersecurity when he decided to just try taking the entrance exam. As his mother Armenia recounts, he suddenly shared out of nowhere that he had taken the PhilSAT, to which the conversation went like: "'Ano nakuha mo?' '56' 'Eh, ano ang passing?' '55' 'Okay lang 'yan! Wala ka namang law background'". 

"2017 ko lang na decide maging lawyer," shares Castillo, who went to study at the Arellano University School of Law. At first, he was just trying it out. "Eventually, I fell in love with law. Para din makatulong ako sa iba."

He continued taking up law as a working student, and even took the bars just two months after graduating—all leading up to the sweet moment as he and his parents, who came all the way from Batangas, saw the results at the Supreme Court. Now, their family has their first-ever lawyer.