A graduate of the University of the Philippines topped the 2015 Bar examinations with a grade of 87.40 percent.
Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, chairman of the 2015 Committee on the Bar Examinations, on Tuesday said 1,731 or 26 percent of the 6,605 examinees passed.
This is higher than the 18.82 percent who passed the examinations last year and the 22.18 percent who were successful in 2013.
Rachel Angeli B. Miranda got the highest overall rating of 87.40 percent. She was followed by Athena C. Plaza of the University of San Carlos, with 87.25 percent.
In third place was Jayson C. Aguilar, also of the University of the Philippines, whose score was 86.7 percent.
The fourth to 10th places belonged to Reginald M. Arceo of Ateneo de Manila University, 86.7 percent; Mandy Therese Anderson, also of Ateneo de Manila University, 86.1 percent; Giselle P. Hernandez of UP, 86.1 percent; Darniel R. Bustamante of San Beda College-Manila, 85.9 percent; Jecca B. Jacildo, Soraya S. Laut, Jericho R. Tiu of the University of San Carlos, Xavier University and Ateneo de Manila University, respectively, 85.8 percent; Jedd Brian R. Hernandez, also of the University of the Philippines, 85.8 percent; and Ronel U. Buenaventura and Lara Carmela G. Fernando of the Bulacan State University and San Beda College-Manila, respectively, 85.7 percent.
The 2015 Bar examinations were held on November 8, 15, 22 and 29 at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
Reforms
Theodore Te, the Assistant Court Administrator and Chief of the Public Information Office of the Supreme Court, said the SC is considering proposals to reform the Bar examinations, including reducing the number of subjects and regionalization.
These proposals come from deans of law schools, who are regularly consulted by the chairman of the Bar Examinations Committee.
Among the changes being discussed is the procedure for application as well as record keeping and data processing.
Te said that “consistent with the thrust of the court to ensure greater efficiency and also to minimize delays, proposals to automate the process of application to take the Bar examinations as well as digitize the lawyers’ list are being considered, within the framework of the judiciary’s Enterprise Information Systems Plan”