Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Bar hopefuls react while awaiting the 2025 Bar exam results at the Supreme Court grounds in Manila on January 7, 2025. A total of 5,594 examinees—48.98 percent of the 11,420 takers—passed the exams, as announced by Supreme Court Associate Justice and Bar Chairperson Amy Lazaro-Javier. She explained that 'every answer was scored depending on accuracy, clarity, conciseness, logic, and grammar. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767779431646viber_image_2026-01-07_17-09-18-250.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Bar hopefuls react while awaiting the 2025 Bar exam results at the Supreme Court grounds in Manila on January 7, 2025. A total of 5,594 examinees—48.98 percent of the 11,420 takers—passed the exams, as announced by Supreme Court Associate Justice and Bar Chairperson Amy Lazaro-Javier. She explained that &#x27;every answer was scored depending on accuracy, clarity, conciseness, logic, and grammar. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Out of the 11,420 examinees in the 2025 Bar Examinations, 5,594 individuals passed, resulting in a 48.98% passing rate.</p><p>And behind this long list of names of Bar passers are stories of struggle, grit, and unwavering support from family and friends who look with hope to the country’s next new lawyers.</p><p>Standing among the crowd at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, January 7, to witness the results was Eduardo Regio, who was far too familiar with the jitters that came with Bar exam results day.</p><p>For Regio, 11th time’s the charm.</p><p>He said his 10 previous takes served somewhat as a test of humility too.</p><p>“Actually, ayaw ko na sanang kumuha... But nung nakita ko ‘yung grade ko– 73.495. Ba’t hindi ko i-try for the last time? Baka na-overconfident na ako noon. Although talagang overconfident. Mayabang kasi ako. Kaya ‘yun ang tinanggal ko sa sarili ko right after na kailangan ‘yung mapagpakumbaba,” a grateful Regio said.</p><p>And the “why” to his dream of becoming a lawyer? Regio said:</p><p>“Maraming puwedeng matulungan lalo na ‘yung mga biktima ng injustices na walang pambayad ng abogado. Then ‘yung mga manggagawa na tinatanggal nang walang pakundangan.”</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2008817129278308529&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-01-07T09%3A28%3A54.335650%3A6e0f3e19-8a75-450d-8ec1-75d091d934cf%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=0d13cfd0ede4e56493e03042365c865f9e066ed2&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:601px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2008817129278308529"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>FIRST LAWYER IN THE FAMILY</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Florenza Opeña, meanwhile, succeeded in becoming her family’s first lawyer on her second try during the bar examinations.</p><p>A tearful Opeña could only express gratitude over her decision to go to the Supreme Court and watch the release of the results face to face.</p><p>“Ito po, confident po. Kaya naglakas ng loob ako na magpunta dito. Pero kasi may affirmation sa akin si Lord na this is the right time for you, na ito talaga ‘yung time mo to become a lawyer… Kaya I went here... And it&#x27;s really worth it po.”</p><p>The confidence led her to make the journey to Manila all the way from Cavite.</p><p>It was a different story for Enjellyn Maclang who said she ended up in the emergency room on the last day of the 2025 bar exams.</p><p>“Akala ko di na ako makakabalik. Pero nakabalik ako ng 2 p.m. Kaya natapos ko… Tumaas po ‘yung BP or sobrang nahilo kasi walang tulog kaya dapat po talaga may tulog,” Maclang said.</p><p>Maclang went to the Supreme Court with her father, beaming at the sight of his attorney-to-be daughter.</p><p>Meanwhile, friends and a massive congratulatory tarpaulin surrounded Angelo Singson when he found out about passing the bar exams.</p><p>“Overwhelming siya kasi kanina halos hindi pa ako kinakabahan. Pero pagka-release ng results doon, all at once ‘yung emotions nag-rush kaya iyak lang kami nang iyak doon sa coffee shop malapit dito. Then pumunta na rin agad dito after ng results,” Singson said.</p>

<p>Out of the 11,420 examinees in the 2025 Bar Examinations, 5,594 individuals passed, resulting in a 48.98% passing rate.</p>

Out of the 11,420 examinees in the 2025 Bar Examinations, 5,594 individuals passed, resulting in a 48.98% passing rate.

11th time’s the charm: Stories from the 2025 Bar exam passers

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11th time’s the charm: Stories from the 2025 Bar exam passers

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 07, 2026 05:54 PM PHT

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Supreme Court

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2025 Bar Examinations

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