Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Supporters of Bar examinees gather outside the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on Sept. 7, 2025. Darylle Sarmiento, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier underscored on Sunday, September 7, that beyond passing the 2025 Bar examinations, the true test for aspiring lawyers is holding on to their integrity throughout their professional lives.</p><p>&quot;Even though they might choose to be in the private practice, that they will never stop doing public service. And they should never lose their idealism, never ever sacrifice their integrity. Because a good lawyer is a good person,” Justice Lazaro-Javier stressed in a press conference.</p><p>Lazaro-Javier, chair of this year&#x27;s exams, urged examinees to embrace the challenge with perseverance and heart.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/7/bar-2025-future-lawyers-urged-to-defend-justice-fight-corruption-1105"><strong>Bar 2025: Future lawyers urged to defend justice, fight corruption</strong></a></div><p>“Keep going. Success is not a product of just one decision or one action. It&#x27;s a series of decisions to show up and do your best.&quot; she said. </p><p>&quot;I want my &#x27;babies&#x27; to keep fighting till the end and win, and win this challenge.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>HISTORIC NUMBER OF EXAMINEES</strong></div><p>This year’s bar marked a milestone with 13,193 admitted examinees, of whom 11,437 appeared in testing centers across the country on the opening day of the test.</p><p>It is widely regarded as one of the country’s toughest professional exams that will run on September 7, 10, and 14 across 14 local testing centers nationwide.</p><p>“Palagay ko every year tumataas kasi may mga mortality din ((I think the number goes up because there are those who do not pass). So I think that&#x27;s one reason that we have a higher number of examinees this year. And in fact, the trend is going up. So whenever we have a big casualty rate, then the tendency is for these people to repeat the following year,” Lazaro-Javier explained.</p><p>She said 4,239 of the examinees are retakers while 1,984 are refresher course takers.</p><p>For comparison, the 2020–2021 Bar cycle recorded 11,790 registered examinees, 11,402 of whom took the actual exams, and had been the most heavily attended Bar exam in Philippine history.</p><p>The justice emphasized that this year’s exam design prioritized fairness and the well-being of candidates.</p><p>&quot;Every choice we&#x27;ve made throughout this bar journey has been guided by these important factors. The convenience of the examinees, your safety and comfort,” she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/7/2025-bar-exam-kick-off-with-high-hopes-prayers-0919"><strong>2025 Bar exam kicks off with high hopes, prayers</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>DIGITAL AND REGIONALIZED BAR TO STAY</strong></div><p>Addressing questions on the exam format, Lazaro-Javier assured that the digital and regionalized bar examinations will remain in place for the next three years.</p><p>Bar exams used to only be held in Metro Manila until 2020, when movement restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in acknowledgement of the expenses incurred by examinees from outside the capital prompted the designation of test centers across the Philippines.</p><p>“Our commitment and the resolution of the court is that within the next three years, the bar will be the same. No new rules, no further innovations. Because we want our bar to be as predictable as it can be, to be fair to the bar takers. So it will continue to be digitalized, it will continue to be regionalized,” she explained.</p>

<p>Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier underscored on Sunday, September 7, that beyond passing the 2025 Bar examinations, the true test for aspiring lawyers is holding on to their integrity throughout their professional lives.</p>

Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier underscored on Sunday, September 7, that beyond passing the 2025 Bar examinations, the true test for aspiring lawyers is holding on to their integrity throughout their professional lives.

'Integrity above all': SC urges future lawyers to guard their principles beyond the Bar exams

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'Integrity above all': SC urges future lawyers to guard their principles beyond the Bar exams

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 07, 2025 03:19 PM PHT

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Supreme Court

Bar exams

Amy Lazaro-Javier

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