CEBU, Philippines — Time and again, the topnotchers of the 2017 Bar examinations from Cebu have proven that diligence, tenacity, and the willingness to sacrifice everything for one’s dream work wonders.
That’s why when second placer Christianne Mae Balili was asked for her secrets in topping the Bar, she responded by saying they’re not actually secrets but things everybody already know.
“It’s just diligence, perseverance, faith in yourself, and keeping close to those people who also believe in you, and staying true to your own music,” an overjoyed Balili told reporters yesterday afternoon, less than an hour after learning she finished second in the exam.
“You have to dance to your own music. You should not copy the style of others, how they study, how they do it, and you have to remain true to what works for you,” she continued.
Balili scored 90.80 percent, or 0.25 point away from first placer Mark John Simondo of University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City.
But the accolade was not served to her on a silver platter.
Balili, 32, a certified public accountant and a native of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte, juggled in between working full-time and attending law school with full load at the same time at the University of San Carlos.
“The teachers will really push you to do your best and at the same time, I have to earn a living,” Balili said.
Things got even a little awry when, while she was winding up her review, her grandmother passed away. Initially, the incident left her devastated but it also fueled her to strive harder.
“I was really heartbroken in the exam (her grandmother was buried on the day she took the first leg of the four-Sunday exam). I think that really helped me push myself further. My grandmother was my number one fan. She believed in me so much that I will give my best,” she said, trying to hold back her tears.
Balili could not explain her feeling while waiting for the results yesterday. She was nervous, dizzy, and feeling weak, having waited for hours, so she decided to get some nap.
Later, she would wake up to a call of her workmates, who broke the good news to her.
She never believed them, thinking it was all a prank, but when they sent her a copy of the document issued by the Supreme Court containing the Top 20 passers, that’s when she jumped in elation.
Balili, who is presently connected with ACCRA Law Office, plans to go back to her hometown in Zamboanga, see her family, and celebrate her success with them.
Apart from Balili, two other topnotchers came from USC: Ivanne D’laureil Hisoler, 27, who landed fourth with 89.55 percent, and Rheland Servacio, 26, who placed seventh with 89 percent.
Hisoler had always wanted to become a doctor. In fact, she pursued Nursing at the Cebu Normal University and eventually became a registered nurse.
A little egging from her uncle, who is also a lawyer, was all it took for Hisoler to set sail for a different career trajectory.
At USC, she finished at the top of her batch.
The trainings, the readings, the law school itself formed part of the major challenges Hisoler hurdled, that’s why upon learning she was among the topnotchers, she said she finally heaved a sigh of great relief.
As for Servacio, the long wait for the results was agonizing.
“All the answers you placed in your notebook in the Bar exam flash back and there’s news that only 17 percent of the takers passed the Criminal Law, it starts to dampen your mood. So the waiting was kind of excruciating in a way. I just really hoped for the best,” said the 26-year-old resident of Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.
Servacio “gave up” a few things for his dream to become a lawyer, though he did elaborate further. This sacrifice, he said, paid off when he landed on the seventh place.
“The matter of diligence and, of course, prayer… Diligence should be coupled with sincerity and willingness to sacrifice everything to achieve your dream,” he said.
To break free from the shackles of the life of a law student – because there can be many bad days at law school – Servacio decided to teach accounting while Balili preoccupied herself with her work at a law firm.
Balili, Hisoler, and Servacio have continued the streak of their school in topping the Bar exams. From 2015 to 2017, USC has produced nine Bar topnotchers, with 2016 being the most fruitful with four topnotchers, one of whom took the first spot.
For the 2017 Bar, USC has produced 65 new lawyers.
Lawyer Joan Largo, dean of the USC College of Law, said the school’s consistent production of topnotchers is a combination of many factors.
“First of all, we are clear with our goals,” she said. “We know what we want, know how to get there, and we map out strategies and the bases of the goals that we have set in school.”
She also describes USC’s lineup of professors as among the best and dedicated to their craft. This coupled with having the “best students” proves to be a successful combo for USC.
USJ-R Grad
This year, two more Cebu graduates have brought pride to their schools – University of San Jose-Recoletos and University of Cebu.
Stephanie Claros, 32, obtained a rating of 87.55 percent to finish 15th, the first topnotcher produced by USJ-R in more than 10 years.
She told The FREEMAN that while the law school faculty motivated them to aim for the top, becoming a topnotcher is actually just a bonus of sorts.
Finding her name on the list of topnotchers was a culmination of years of dedication and hardwork.
Even if she was enrolled in a review program at USJ-R, Claros made it a point to spend extra hours doing self-review to find her own pace.
She was not contented with one study material alone. She read various books and applied the mind-mapping strategy – a technique used by students to visually organize information – taught to them by their dean Jonathan Capanas.
Her innate interest in the legal stuff prompts her to follow the latest developments in the profession. In fact, while waiting for the results, she busied herself by keeping track of the legal developments in the Philippines.
She even made a law blog, crafted a comparative report of the National Internal Revenue Code and the TRAIN Law, and joined a project with the Commission on Human Rights.
Claros wants to pursue her advocacy for labor and human rights. As a member of cause-oriented group, she plans to set up her own labor research center.
Amid headwinds faced by the judiciary recently, she urged new layers to take a stand.
“Right now, the political atmosphere is volatile. Don’t get discouraged. Take it as a challenge and uphold the rule of law and the Constitution,” she said.
Sought for comment, Capanas said Claros is proof that the sustainable reforms he has implemented over the years at the law school have come to fruition.
Josenian lawyers, he said, need not be loud and visible so long as they help others.
“We are very happy. We are improving. We are doing things quietly. We do not want to compete with other schools,” Capanas said, expressing optimism that USJ-R could produce more topnotchers in the future.
UC Grad
The last topnotcher from Cebu is UC’s Ella Mae Mendoza, who placed 17th with 87.35 percent.
Mendoza was at a monastery in Consolacion, Cebu when a friend heralded the news that she topped.
The 28-year-old registered nurse graduated as class valedictorian in her law class. She took up the Juris Doctor program and completed her thesis on Philippine Competition Act.
With her mother working abroad, Mendoza had to deal with school pressure while looking after her siblings at the same time.
After reviewing at University of the Philippines Cebu, she then took the Bar and began working as a legal assistant at a Cebu-based law firm.
“Do not lose faith in the rule of law and always uphold the principles we learned in school and apply them in actual practice. Do not be influenced by factors like political aspirations,” she tells aspiring lawyers.
UC dean Baldomero Estenzo emphasized that the preparations for the Bar start on day one of law school. He always encourages his students to work in accordance with the ethics of the profession.
“What matters most in the Bar examination is your foundation in law school,” he said.
UC has produced 14 new lawyers.
Why top 20
For the first time in recent memory, the SC decided to reveal this year a Top 20 instead of Top 10.
This surprised Largo, Capanas, and Estenzo, but in a good way, they said.
The three hope that this will be continued to recognize the efforts of other students.
Out of 6,748 examinees, only 1,724 passed the 2017 Bar exam or a 25.55 percent passing rate. — /JMD (FREEMAN)