A graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law in Baguio is among those who aced the 2019 Bar Examinations, the results of which were released by the Supreme Court through its website on April 29.
Baguio boy Anton Luis Arevalo Avila landed eighth place with an average of 87.5820 percent and is among the top 10 Bar passers who are products of provincial schools, or not from perennial topnotcher schools in Metro Manila.
Avila, son of lawyer Edgar Avila and Bernadette Arevalo-Avila, finished Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics at the Ateneo de Manila University, and Law in SLU, ending the school’s 22 years of Bar topnotcher drought.
SLU last entered the top 10 of one of the grueling exams in the country in 1988.
“We are proud parents in town, he even got a higher grade than me in the Bar exams,” the older Avila said.
In its official social media account, SLU School of Law Dean Atty. Lilybeth Libiran said, “This is an affirmation of the commitment of SLU to academic excellence. We are happy that Anton made it to the top 10.”
Aside from Avila, 53 other SLU law graduates passed the Bar, representing a 52.48 percent passing rate.
Other schools from Baguio and Benguet also announced its successful Bar examinees with University of the Cordilleras producing 56 passers out of 117 examinees, representing a 47.86 percent passing rate. UC, formerly Baguio Colleges Foundation, placed the Cordillera on the map of high-caliber lawyers for having produced a number of Bar topnotchers led by first placers Janet Abuel in 1998, Noel Neil Malimban in 2006, and a crop of top 10 finishers.
University of Baguio has 10 bar passers and Cordillera Career Development College in La Trinidad also registered 10 passers.
This year’s Bar exam is topped by Mae Diane Azores of University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi (91.0490 percent); Princess Fatima Parahiman of University of the East (89.5230 percent); Myra Baranda of UST-Legazpi (88.8250 percent); Dawna Fya Bandiola of San Beda College Alabang (88.3360 percent); Jocelyn Fabello of Palawan State University (88.2630 percent); Kenneth Glenn Manuel of University of Sto. Tomas (88.1730 percent); Rhowee Buergo of Jose Rizal University in Mandaluyong City (87.8710 percent); Jun Dexter Rojas of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (87.5765 percent); and Bebelan Madera of University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City (87.3795 percent). – Hanna C. Lacsamana
