Cheerers allay jitters of first day bar exam takers

MANILA, Philippines — Fiesta atmosphere ensued as more than 600 bar exam candidates passed through the University of Santo Tomas’s exit after finishing their first of the three-day test on Sunday.

Third-year law student Rachelyn Mae Valenzuela is among hundreds who clutched banners, placards and balloons to show their encouragement.

“We wanted to show our support to motivate and inspire them,” said Valenzuela, 26, in an interview with Inquirer.

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Valenzuela was among the dozen members of San Beda College-Alabang centralized bar operations who had a presence there for more than 12 hours.

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“We know that they worked hard since the first year,” she said. “These are the fruits of their efforts for four years—manifesting that they will be Bedan lawyers come 2027.”

Mariekei Sta. Maria of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) told Inquirer that around 20 members of their centralized bar operations accompanied their Bar takers for around 15 hours “to show our bar takers that bar examination is not just their journey but the entire PUP College of Law community.”

Sta. Maria, a second-year law student, said there were around 20 of them who had been waiting for more than 15 hours.

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Other candidates also have their families to count on for support.

Janine Cea, along with her mother and two other home companions, was spotted clad in blue T-shirts with the words “JESPER IS MY LAWYER.”

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Cea, 28, said they were planning to surprise her younger brother Jesper, 26, by wearing the T-shirt, which was not worn when they sent their bar candidate off the examination site.

A total of 12,029 examinees were present, and 675 of them took their test from UST, according to the data provided by the Supreme Court.

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The second and third days of the bar exams will be held on Sept. 9 and 13. /cb