For the second consecutive year, female examinees outnumbered males in the bar examinations.
Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Chairperson of the 2025 Bar Examinations, noted that among the 13,193 admitted to take the 2025 bar exams, there are 6,673 women, comprising fifty-one percent (51%) compared to 4,764 men.
The Bar Examinations were held on September 7, 10, and 14, 2025 across 14 local testing centers (LTCs) nationwide, with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) serving as the national headquarters.
There are 5,215 first-time takers, 4,239 repeat takers, and 1,984 refresher examinees. There are 206 senior citizens, 241 persons with disabilities, 41 pregnant women, and 139 examinees with medical conditions.
A total of 11,425 out of 11,437 takers completed this year’s bar, setting a new milestone with the largest number of finishers in Philippine bar history.
The subjects on the first day (September 7) were Political and Public International Law (15%) and Commercial and Taxation (20%). On the second day (September 10), the subjects were Civil (20%) and Labor Law and Social Legislations (10%), while on the third day (September 14) the subjects were Criminal (10%) and Remedial, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises (25%).
With a passing rate of 37.84 percent, a total of 3,962 passed the 2024 Bar exams after the justices decided to lower the passing score from 75 to 74 percent, higher than 2023’s tally of 3,812.
Between 1930 and 2024, there were twenty-two females who became bar topnotchers.
Thirteen came from my alma mater, the University of the Philippines College of Law: Tecla San Andres in 1930 (89.4%); Cecilia Muñoz-Palma in 1937 (92.6); Gregoria Cruz in 1946 (92.25); Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera in 1947 (93.85); Carolina Griño in 1950 (92.05); Janette Susan Peña in 1985 (89.4); Maria Yvette Navarro in 1988 (88.12); Leonor Dicdican in 1995 (91.2); Patricia-Ann Prodigalidad in 1996 (90.6); Ma. Cecilia Fernandez in 1997 (90.025); January Sanchez in 2004 (87.45); Joan De Venecia in 2005 (87.2); and Rachel Angeli Miranda in 2015 (87.4).
Three came from Ateneo de Manila University: Irene Ragodon-Guevarra in 1981 (90.95); Anna Leah Fidelis Castañeda in 1993 (88.325); and Mercedita Ona in 2007 (83.55).
The following schools had one female topnotcher each: Baguio Colleges Foundation (BCF) with Janet Abuel in 1998 (91.8); San Beda College with Irene Mae Alcobilla in 2014 (85.5); San Sebastian College with Judy Lardizabal in 2008 (85.7); University of San Carlos with Karen Mae Calam in 2016 (89.05); University of Santo Tomas with Arlene Maneja in 2002 (92.9); and University of Santo Tomas–Legazpi with Mae Diane Azores in 2019 (91.049).
Abuel of BCF was the topnotcher of the 1998 bar exams wherein 1,465 examinees passed or 39.63 percent out of the 3,697 examinees. Three UP batchmates landed in the top 10 (2nd, 3rd, and 5th).
Tecla Ravago San Andres Ziga was the first woman topnotcher (1930) who later became a female senator in the Philippines.
Cecilia Muñoz-Palma was the 1937 topnotcher who was also the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court in 1973.
Other female topnotchers who became justices of the Supreme Court include Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera of 1947 and Carolina Griño of 1950.
One of the advice of Joan De Venecia (2005) for examinees is to “Avoid unnecessary comparison to the pace of others. We all have our own rhythm according to the laws of inertia.”
UP has the highest number of bar topnotchers (male and female) with 51, followed by Ateneo de Manila with 23, San Beda with 8, UST with 6, Philippine Law School with 5, Far Eastern University and University of Manila College of Law with 4 each, San Beda College Alabang with 3, and University of the Cordilleras with 2.
Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay was my bar buddy who topped the following year’s (1999) bar exam with one of the lowest passing rates of 16.59 percent, with three UP Law graduates again in the top ten.
The LTCs were selected from various parts of the country “to ease the financial burden of applicants hailing from the provinces while helping them remain close to their families, friends, and loved ones.”
Metro Manila LTCs include UST, San Beda University – Mendiola, New Era University, Manila Adventist College, San Beda College – Alabang, UP BGC, and Ateneo de Manila.
Luzon LTCs include Saint Louis University and University of Nueva Caceres. Visayas LTCs include University of San Jose–Recoletos, Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation, and Central Philippine University. Mindanao LTCs include Ateneo de Davao University and Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology.
