Court operations to be suspended in NCR, other areas for 2023 Bar exams

Court operations in the first and second-level courts in the National Capital Region and other cities will be suspended on September 20, Wednesday for the 2023 Bar exams, the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) announced Friday.

In a circular, the OCA said court operations will be suspended in the NCR and other cities where testing sites are located.

According to the court, officials, personnel, and employees who will be deployed as Bar personnel will be considered to be on official business.

The 2023 Bar exams will be held on September 17, 20, and 24.

The Supreme Court previously announced that the Bar examinations will be held in 14 local testing centers nationwide.

For the National Capital Region, the exams will be held in the following:

• San Beda University
• University of Santo Tomas
• San Beda College
• University of the Philippines (UP) - Diliman
• Manila Adventist College
• UP - Bonifacio Global City

The exams will also be held in the following areas in Luzon:

• Saint Louis University
• Cagayan State University
• University of Nueva Caeceres

The exams will also be held in the following areas in the Visayas:

• University of San Jose - Recoletos
• University of San Carlos
• Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation

Meanwhile, the exam will be held in the following for Mindanao:

• Ateneo de Davao University
• Xavier University

The Supreme Court previously said that Bar examinees are no longer required to present negative COVID-19 test results.

"Examinees are not required to present negative RT-PCR or antigen test results as a prerequisite for entry into their LTC," the Office of the 2023 Bar Chair said on August 15.

"While also not required, examinees are highly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19," it added.

Meanwhile, examinees who exhibit symptoms during the security process or during the examinations will be assessed by the medical staff.

The examinees may be placed in isolated testing rooms, where they will be allowed to continue taking the test. — Joahna Lei Casilao/RSJ, GMA Integrated News