The Supreme Court on Thursday said some 11,790 law graduates are expected to take the first online and regionalized bar examinations starting today, Feb. 4, and on Sunday, Feb. 6, in 29 testing centers nationwide.
The Office of the Bar Confidant has implemented strict measures for admission into the testing centers due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Examinees will be required to undergo an antigen test before the exams, and those who are found positive must take a confirmatory RT-PCR test.
Those testing positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to take the test.
he bar examinations for 2020 were cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and the Supreme Court decided to hold the tests simultaneously with the 2021 law graduates.
The Court also decided to reduce the coverage and shorten the duration of the 2020-2021 online bar examinations.
Instead of four successive Sundays, the Court decided to hold two-day examinations, which will cover four comprehensive sets instead of the traditional eight subjects.
The four sets are: 1. The Law Pertaining to the State and Its Relationship with Its Citizens (formerly Political Law, Labor Law, and Taxation Law), 2. Criminal Law, 3. The Law Pertaining to Private Personal and Commercial Relations (formerly Civil Law and Commercial Law), and 4. Procedure and Professional Ethics (formerly Remedial Law, Legal Ethics, and Practical Exercises).
The first two sets will be taken up on Feb. 4, while the other two sets will be on Feb. 6.
As recommended by Bar Chairperson and Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the changes in the bar examinations will apply only for the 2020-2021 bar examinations.
The Court has also dropped the announcement of the 10 top-notchers, but will recognize all who get a weighted average score of 85 percent for exemplary performance.
The Court said it will have a list of law schools ranked from the most to the least number of passers among first time examinees, and a separate list ranked from those with the most to the least number of examinees recognized for exemplary performance.
Leonen said shifting the focus away from how individuals excel to a school’s collective performance would “encourage deep-seated and wide-ranging improvements in legal education.”
The 29 testing centers with their maximum available slots are:
National Capital Region — Ateneo de Manila University Law School, Ateneo Professional Schools Building, 20 Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City (maximum 269 slots); Manila Adventist College, 1975 San Juan Street, Pasay City (maximum 450 slots); University of Makati, J.P. Rizal Extension, West Rembo, Makati City (maximum 1,000 slots); Far Eastern University, Nicanor Reyes, Sampaloc, Manila (maximum 600 slots); and University of Santo Tomas, España Boulevard, Sampaloc, Manila (maximum 500 slots); University of the Philippines in Diliman Quezon City, (maximum 756 slots; University of the Philippines, Bonifacio Global City, (maximum 436 slots); and Dela Salle University, Taft Avenue, Manila, (maximum 794 slots).
Cordillera Administrative Region — St. Louis University School of Law, A. Bonifacio Street, Baguio City (maximum 1,035 slots).
Region 1 (Ilocos Region) — St. Louis College, Carlatan, San Fernando City, La Union (maximum 1,280 slots).
Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) — Cagayan State University College of Law, Carig Campus – Carig Sur, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan (maximum 421 slots); St. Mary’s University College of Law, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya (maximum 259 slots).
Region 4A (CALABARZON) — De La Salle University – Lipa, 1962 Pres. J.P. Laurel National Highway, Lipa City, Batangas (maximum 1,125 slots).
Region 4B (MIMAROPA) — City College of Calapan, Barangay Guinobatan, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro (maximum 200 slots).
Region 5 (Bicol Region) — University of Nueva Caceres, J. Hernandez Avenue, Naga, Camarines Sur (maximum 1,000 slots).
Region 6 (Western Visayas) — Central Philippine University, University Avenue, Jaro, Iloilo City, Iloilo (maximum 475 slots) and University of St. La Salle, La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental (maximum 1,340 slots).
Region 7 (Central Visayas) — University of San Jose Recoletos – Basak Campus, N. Bacalso Street, Basak, Pardo, Cebu City (maximum 600 slots); University of Cebu School of Law, UC Banilad, M. Cuenco Avenue, Banilad, Cebu City (maximum 1,000 slots); University of San Carlos School of Law and Governance, University of San Carlos Law Building, Pelaez Street, Cebu City (maximum 200 slots); and Silliman University College of Law, 1 Hibbard Avenue, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental (maximum 1,000 slots).
Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) — Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation, Calanipawan Road, Barangay Calanipawan, Tacloban City, Leyte (maximum 400 slots).
Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) — Ateneo de Zamboanga University, La Purisima Street, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur (maximum 365 slots).
Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) — Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan College of Law, 73 Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental (maximum 240 slots); Liceo de Cagayan University, Paseo del Rio Campus, Rodelsa Circle, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, (maximum 208 slots); Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology, Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Tibanga, Iligan City, Lanao del
Norte (maximum 250 slots).
Region 11 (Davao Region) — Ateneo de Davao University, Senior High School Campus, Bangkal, Davao City (maximum 800 slots).
Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) — Mindanao State University, Fatima, General Santos City (maximum 204 slots).
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will close several roads within the vicinity of three Manila universities where the bar
examinations will be held.
In an advisory, the MMDA said that the affected roads are located within the vicinity of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Far
Eastern University (FEU), and De La Salle University (DLSU).
The Manila Police District (MPD) will implement the road closures from 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 4 and on Feb. 6 onwards and affected motorists were
advised to re-route.
The Supreme Court has ordered the closure of its offices along Padre Faura Street in Manila, the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, and all trial courts in the National Capital Region at
the start of the bar exams.
The Court also ordered all trial courts near testing centers.
The SC earlier announced that some 11,790 law graduates are expected to take the bar examinations. The number of examinees is high since
the 2020 bar examinations were cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.