183 pass 2024 Shari’ah bar exams

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 183 examinees have passed the 2024 Shari’ah Bar Examinations (SBE), representing 21.45 percent of the 853 takers, according to the Supreme Court.

SC Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, chair of the 2024 Shari’ah Bar, yesterday said 62.3 percent of the passers are women.

The topnotcher is Nurhaifah Hadji Said Punginagina, who obtained a rating of 86.75 percent, followed by Sittie Nasriyyah Gani Gubat with 86.10 and Sittie Fairoza Yahya Alonto with 86.025 percent.

Of the 11 topnotchers, nine are women, the SC said.

The oath-taking and roll signing ceremonies will be held on Aug. 14 at the Manila Hotel.

The examinations were conducted on April 28 and May 2 at the Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City and University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City.

While the examinations were conducted online, a majority of the examinees opted to take the pen and paper test at the UP Malcolm Theater.

The exams were originally scheduled on Feb. 25 and 28, but the SC move the date “in anticipation of the holy month of Ramadan (from March 9 to April 8) and to allow prospective examinees additional time to review and prepare the application requirements.”

Subjects covered in the two-day examinations were jurisprudence (Figh) and customary laws (Adat); persons, family relations and property; succession, wills or adjudication and settlement of estates as well as procedure in the Shari’ah Court.

The examinations are given to allow Muslim professionals to qualify and practice before Shari’ah Court as provided under Presidential Decree 1083, or the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines.

Singh said this year’s examinations were the first to be digitalized and regionalized.

This is also the first time that the SBE was chaired by a sitting member of the high tribunal.

“This was to show that we aim to erase the distinctions between the regular bar examinations and the Shari’ah bar examinations,” Singh said.

This is also the start of the yearly conduct of the SBE, which used to be held only every other year.

For this year, the SC allowed overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia, who previously expressed interest in participating in the Shari’ah Training Seminar and in taking the 2024 SBE, to join the STS online and take the examinations in-country.

The next SBE will be held in 2025 and chaired by Associate Justice Antonio Kho Jr.