MANILA, Philippines — What could have been a tense and exhausting end to the first day of the 2026 Bar Examinations turned into a celebration outside the University of Santo Tomas (UST), as fellow law students, families and supporters gathered to welcome examinees and remind them that they were not facing the grueling test alone.
More than 600 Bar examinees emerged from UST after completing the first day of the three-day examination on Sunday, September 6, greeted by banners, balloons, cheering supporters and words of encouragement.
Among those waiting were students from San Beda College-Alabang, including third-year law student Rachelyn Mae Valenzuela and members of the school’s centralized Bar operations.
They stayed for more than 12 hours to support their seniors, believing that the years of preparation leading to the Bar deserved to be met with encouragement rather than silence.
The same spirit was evident among students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) College of Law. Around 20 members of its centralized Bar operations stayed for roughly 15 hours to accompany their examinees.
For them, the Bar was not simply an individual examination—it was a journey shared by the entire law-school community.
Families joined the emotional welcome
The support outside UST also came from families.
One group drew attention for wearing blue shirts bearing the message “JESPER IS MY LAWYER,” a surprise prepared for 26-year-old Bar examinee Jesper by his sister Janine Cea, their mother and other family members.
Scenes like these offered examinees a brief emotional reprieve after hours of concentration inside the testing center.
More than 12,000 took Day 1
The emotional scenes outside UST came as thousands of aspiring lawyers across the country completed the first day of the 2026 Bar Exams.
According to Supreme Court data cited by GMA News, 12,029 examinees actually took the first day, out of 13,441 applicants admitted to the examination. The examinees were spread across 15 local testing centers nationwide.
The group included 6,773 women and 5,256 men, while the youngest examinee was 24 and the oldest was 84. The Supreme Court also reported 304 persons with disabilities and 285 senior citizens among those who took the first day.
The figures underscore how diverse this year’s pool of aspiring lawyers is.
The Supreme Court had earlier reported that 14,291 applicants registered for the 2026 Bar Exams, the highest number in the history of the Philippine Bar. Of those, 13,441 were admitted to take the examinations.
Women make up the majority
Another notable feature of this year’s Bar is the growing presence of women.
Inquirer reported that women accounted for more than half of the examinees, with Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, chairperson of the 2026 Bar Examinations, noting the changing composition of the profession.
Bar officials also highlighted that some women examinees were mothers who had recently given birth and had requested accommodations, including permission to bring breast pumps into testing centers.
Their participation reflects the different personal circumstances examinees are navigating while pursuing admission to the legal profession.
What comes next for the examinees?
The 2026 Bar Examinations are being administered over three days: September 6, September 9 and September 13.
The first day covered Political and Public International Law in the morning and Commercial and Taxation Laws in the afternoon.
On September 9, examinees will tackle Civil Law and Land Titles and Deeds, followed by Labor Law and Social Legislation.
The final examination day on September 13 will cover Criminal Law; Remedial Law; and Legal and Judicial Ethics, with Practical Exercises.
The examinations remain digitized, with examinees using a secure testing application on their own laptops—a system that has been used since the 2020/2021 Bar Examinations.
The long wait isn’t over yet
For the thousands who completed Day 1, however, the biggest challenge may still be ahead.
They now have only a short window to recover, review and prepare for the second examination day.
But as the scenes outside UST showed, the aspiring lawyers do not have to carry the pressure alone.
Behind every examinee are families who waited, friends who cheered, classmates who stayed for hours and communities that believe the years of sacrifice will eventually pay off.
For now, the first hurdle is over. Two more days stand between these aspiring lawyers and the dream of finally earning the title “Attorney.”
The Supreme Court has set the Bar results for release potentially in January, according to Justice Gaerlan.
And until that day comes, the banners, balloons and cheers outside the testing centers serve as a reminder: the Bar may be taken by individuals, but for many Filipino families and law-school communities, the journey is shared.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.S
Leave a Reply