MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The 2018 Bar Examinations kicked off on Sunday, November 4, with over 8,000 candidates taking what is deemed the hardest licensure examinations in the country.

Held again at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), the Supreme Court (SC) said a record high of 8,701 registered to take the Bar exams starting at 8 am. “This is the highest number of Bar candidates in recent years,” said the SC in a statement.

This year’s Bar chairman is Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo. (WATCH: ‘Anak, pasado ka!’ and other victorious 2017 Bar moments)

For the 2017 Bar Examinations, only 25.55% passed. It was a dramatic drop from the 59.06% passing rate in 2016 attributed by law schools to the “reasonable” Bar chairman then.

The Bar Examinations will be held on 4 consecutive Sundays of the month, November 4,11, 18, and 25.

On the eve of the first Sunday, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) penned a thought-provoking open letter to aspiring lawyers, asking if it’s “still worth taking the Bar.”

Citing unprecedented Supreme Court decisions like the ouster of a chief justice via the quo warranto mode, the NUPL said “recent events confused, redefined and reinvented hornbook legal concepts.”

“When you know that law is ultimately for justice; that you will not be an instrument to perpetuate injustice and inequity; or that you will serve the poor, exploited, and helpless; that you aspire to become one of the best lawyers money cannot buy; that you will use your education, training and skills to change the ills of society; and that you vow to change the law of rulers to the rule of justice – then take that Bar by all means, and do the best performance of your life,” said the NUPL.

In case heavy rain pours on any of the 4 Sundays, the Supreme Court reminded the candidates and their schools of contingency plans: 

1. Ten (10) SC buses shall be available to transport examinees and duty personnel to UST from several pick-up points in case of heavy rain in the morning of a Bar examination day.
   
   
2. The buses shall be stationed as early as 4:30 am and will leave exactly at 5 am in the following areas: Quezon City Memorial Circle near Philippine Coconut Authority (two buses); Park and Ride, Lawton, Manila (one bus); SC New Building Compound, Taft Avenue (two buses); Greenbelt and Glorietta, Ayala Center, Makati (two buses); and Marikina Sports Complex (one bus).
   
   
3. Only Bar examinees and duty personnel are allowed to ride the shuttle buses, and boarding shall be on a first-come, first-served basis. To avail of this service, they must present their Notice of Admission, Gate Pass and/or identification cards, as the case may be, to the bus driver before being allowed to board.
   
   
4. If after the end of the exams there is flooding, the SC commuter vans shall also be available at each examination building to transport Bar examinees and duty personnel back to Osmeña and Arellano Drives near Gate 5 along España where the SC shuttle buses are parked.
   
   
5. The SC shuttle buses will transport and drop them off in the following areas: northbound passengers shall be transported up to QC Memorial Circle (near Philippine Coconut Authority) while southbound passengers at Park and Ride, Lawton, Supreme Court premises, and at the EDSA Magallanes Flyover (beneath the Flyover) in Pasay. For passengers going to the Makati area, the drop-off area shall be at the Ayala Center (Glorietta and Greenbelt), while those going to the Marikina area shall be at the Marikina Sports Complex

Mark John Simondo, the 2017 Bar examination topnotcher, was from the University of St La Salle (USLS) in Bacolod. He was also the law school’s valedictorian and, before that, a magna cum laude graduate of nursing. He topped the Bar with a grade of 91.05%.

A total of 1,724 passed out of the 6,748 law graduates who completed the Bar exams last in 2017. 

In a statement Sunday afternoon, Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo told examinees that the Bar exams will serve as “a yardstick of your calmness and courage under pressure.” 

“All these are, however, only requisites to the practice of law as the real challenge is upholding the integrity and dignity of the profession, amid all fascinations of the legal world, after you’ve taken your oaths and signed the rolls,” Panelo said.

“To our bar candidates, study hard, believe in yourselves, and give it your best shot. We wish you all the best,” the President’s spokesman added.– Rappler.com