Provincial law grads dominate Bar Top 10; passing rate at 59.06%

More than half of the 6,344 law graduates who took the 2016 Bar exams hurdled the licensure test, the highest in recent years, according to Supreme Court Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco on Wednesday.

In an unprecedented turnout, all topnotchers came from provincial law schools, beating out law graduates from usual top performing Metro Manila-based schools.

A total of 3,747 out of the 6,344 examinees passed the test or a passing rate of 59.06 percent, said Velasco, who chaired the 2016 Bar exams.

University of San Carlos' Karen Mae Calam topped the exam with a rating of 89.05 percent.

Here is the Top 10 list:

1. Karen Mae L. Calam, University of San Carlos (Cebu), 89.0500%
2. Alanna Gayle Ashley Khio, Silliman University (Negros Oriental), 88.9500
3. Fiona Cristy D. Lao, University of San Carlos and Athalia B. Liong, Andres Bonifacio College (Zamboanga del Norte), 88.8000
4. Allana Mae A. Babayen-On, University of San Agustin (Iloilo), 88.7500
5. Justin Ryan D. Morilla, Ateneo de Davao University (Davao City), 88.4000%
6. Mark Dave M. Camarao, Northwestern University (Ilocos Norte), 88.1000%
7. Anne Margaret E. Momongan, University of San Carlos, 87.8000%
8. Jefferson L. Gomez, University of San Carlos, 87.7000%
9. Nia Rachelle M. Gonzales, University of Batangas and Marie Chielo H. Ybio, Silliman University, 87.5000%
10. Andrew Stephen D. Liu, Silliman University, 87.4500%

LOOK: Top 10 of the 2016 Bar Exams @gmanews pic.twitter.com/5iGI6tJ0qg

— Virgil Lopez (@virgillopez) May 3, 2017

"It is the first time that not a single Metro Manila-based school placed in the top 10," Bar Confidant Christina Layusa said in a statement.

USC had four graduates in the top 10 while Silliman University had three.

The passing grade of 75 percent was not lowered.

Velasco said the 2016 passing rate broke the 16-year-old record of 39.63 percent set in 1998 for the highest passing rate (75 and above).

Since 1982, the passing average has been fixed at 75%. The highest recorded passing rate was 75.17% in 1954, though the passing rate around that period was considerably lower.

Oath-taking

The oath-taking of new lawyers will be held on May 22 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Velasco  chaired the Bar exams last year where 6,831 Bar candidates took the tests at the University of Sto. Tomas during the four Sundays in November, starting November 6, 2016.

Arguably one of the toughest licensure exams in the country due to its low passing rate, the Bar exams feature eight subjects: Political Law, Civil Law, Taxation, Labor Law, Criminal Law, Remedial Law, Mercantile Law, and Legal and Judicial Ethics.

For each of the four Sundays, four hours in the morning was devoted to one of these subjects, and four hours in the afternoon to another.

Getting ready for #BAR2016 announcement after the special en Banc session. Last year's results were also announced on May 3. pic.twitter.com/Ok9aYXfaZX

— Supreme Court PIO (@SCPh_PIO) May 2, 2017

Last November, the SC shot down rumors on social media that some questions in criminal law and mercantile law had been leaked.

"The findings show that there is no truth to any of these unsubstantiated social media rumors," Velasco said in a statement.

The high court also dismissed reports that the justices, with the deans of the different law schools, were looking into the possibility of canceling the exams or ordering the Bar candidates to retake the said subjects.

"There is no iota of truth to these statements. These unfounded reports that are being irresponsibly circulated on social media only undermine the efforts of the Bar chairperson to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of the Bar exams," Velasco said.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines paced the 1,731 Bar passers in 2015 with a rating of 87.4 percent. The national passing rate was 26 percent, an improvement from 18.82 percent in 2014. — MDM, GMA News