MANILA, Philippines – (3rd UPDATE) Mae Diane Azores of the University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi topped the 2019 bar with a grade of 91.049%.

Provincial schools are once again prominent in the top 10, with Azores’ schoolmate Myra Baranda landing on No. 3 with a grade of 88.825%.

University of the East (UE) graduate Princess Fatima Parahiman is No. 2 with a grade of 89.523%.

The others in the Top 10 are from: San Beda Alabang, Palawan State University, University of Sto Tomas in Manila, Jose Rizal University, Saint Louis University in Baguio, Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila, and University of St La Salle.

In the 2017 Bar Exams, the No. 1 came from the University of St La Salle with Mark John Simondo getting a grade of 91.05%.

The passing rate for the 2019 Bar Exams is 27.36%, as the Court en banc lowered the passing grade to 74% to have “younger and technologically adept lawyers” cope with the “new normal,” Bar Chair Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas Bernabe said.

Here is the full list of the top 10 highest ratings of the 2019 Bar.

– Rappler.com