MANILA, Philippines — After acing the 2023 Bar Examinations, Ephraim Bie was welcomed by his proud fellow Thomasian Tigers during a victory event held on Tuesday night, December 5, at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
The UST Faculty of Civil Law organized a testimonial dinner at the UST main building to celebrate Bie’s historical achievement. He is the fifth top 1 Bar passer in the entire history of UST law and brought his school back to the Bar’s apex after 11 years. The last time UST law produced a No. 1 passer was in 2002 when Arlene Maneja topped the Bar with a grade of 92.9%.
The room erupted with cheers and applause as Bie and fellow topnotcher from UST, Pio Vincent Buencamino, entered the room. Buencamino placed 8th in the 2023 Bar exams. The Thomasian topnotchers later posed for a photo with UST Law dean Nilo Divina.
As part of their celebration, the UST Law, including Bie, marched on the UST grounds and headed towards the Santisimo Rosario Parish church inside the campus. Inside, the community, including UST Law faculty, prayed as a sign of gratitude.
Afterwards, Bie led the pack and went to the open field for the grand fireworks display, which capped the celebration. The fireworks display lasted for a few minutes.
On December 5, the Supreme Court announced that 3,812 examinees passed the Bar exams chaired by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando. The passing rate was 36.77%, a bit lower compared to 43.47% of the previous edition.
Ateneo de Manila University emerged as the top institution among schools with over 100 candidates, in both the “first-time” and “all candidates” categories. The 2024 Bar exams will be chaired by Associate Justice Mario Lopez. — Rappler.com