Former DICT Undersecretary Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo passes 2025 Bar on first try
Some promises take time to fulfill, but commitment doesn’t waver with the years. And for Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, a vow made to her late father in 2017 became a guiding force, shaping her every step toward the Bar.
Lamentillo has passed the 2025 Bar Examination on her first attempt. It was an achievement, she says was anchored in a promise she made to her father during their final conversation.
In a social media post shared after the results were released, Lamentillo looked back on the moment that set her path in motion: “Eight years ago, in 2017, my dad and I had our last conversation. Before he passed, I promised him I’d become a lawyer. I’ve carried that promise with me ever since—quietly, stubbornly, even on the days I wasn’t sure I could finish what I started.”
She also shared that her review continued even while overseas.
“I brought law books with me to Oxford and studied in between everything because I couldn’t let that promise fade,” Lamentillo wrote.
Describing the emotional weight of taking the exam, Lamentillo connected the milestone to her father’s memory in the same social media post: “This was my first time taking the bar, and I walked into it thinking of him the whole way through.”
Following the release of the bar results, Lamentillo marked the moment as the culmination of years of perseverance. “Today, more than 8 years later, I finally get to put Atty. before my name. Dad, I kept my word. You can finally rest in peace.”
Lamentillo previously served as an Undersecretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology. She graduated from the London School of Economics in 2025 with a Master of Science in Cities and is currently at the University of Oxford for postgraduate studies.
