Bar exam 2023 No. 1 Ephraim Bie braced self for failure

Ephraim Porciuncula Bie prepared for the worst after taking the Philippines' bar examinations in September.

He instead turned out to be the best among the thousands who took the test to be in the ranks of the country's next lawyers.

"I was preparing na babagsak ako eh because I found (the exams) really hard," Bie told GMA Integrated News. 

(I was preparing for the fact that I would fail because I found the exams difficult.)

With a score of 89.2625 percent, the graduate of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law topped the bar examinations—the first in 23 years to have done so.

Bie said his father is a retired company employee while his mother is a housewife. They were his cheerleaders while he studied for the bar, he said. 

He is the first lawyer in his family. 

Bie said he planned to stay in the law firm where he is currently employed. 

"I plan to gain as much experience and learn from the best lawyers," Bie said. 

After celebrating with his family, Bie attended the celebration hosted by the UST Faculty of Civil Law. 

According to The Varsitarian, UST's student publication, the festivities included dinner and fireworks. 

There was also a mass.

In a social media post, UST Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina congratulated Bie for ending a 23-year drought. 

"Let us savor this moment because today you made history. While we had our own fair share of bar topnotchers the past decade, this is the first time in 23 years that we placed first," Divina said

He also congratulated another Thomasian law graduate Pio Vincent Buencamino who placed 8th in the Bar exams. 

Bie was followed by Mark Josel Padual Vivit from Ateneo de Manila University with a score of 89.1250%

Third placer was Frances Camille Altonaga Francisco from San Beda University with a score of 88.9125%.

The other topnotchers were:

• Nathaniel Niño Alipio of Aquinas-UST-Legazpi, 88.65%
• David Joseph Austria Flores of De La Salle University Manila, 88.55%
• Ralph Vincent Salvador Samaniego of the University of the Philippines, 88.4750%
• Bryan Gerard Tapnio Antonio of Ateneo de Manila University, 88.3125%
• Paulo Batulan of University of San Jose-Recoletos, 88.25%
• Pio Vincent Roura Buencamino of University of Santo Tomas, 88.25%
• Grace Abigail Morales Bautista of Angeles University Foundation School of Law, 88.0625%
• Jayson Ong Chan of Saint Paul School of Professional Studies, 88.0125%
• Zes Trina Bañares Non of Aquinas-UST-Legazpi, 88.0125%
• Maria Sofia Esguerra Calderon of San Beda University, 88%
• Cedric Jerome Moya Cruz of Bulacan State University, 87.925%
• Marvin Joseph Manarang Ocampo of University of the Philippines, 87.9125%
• Yvette Veronique De Guzman Rueda of University of Makati, 87.8750%
• Dionisio Tenorio Pobar III of University of the Philippines, 87.8375%
• Vince Benedict Abu Barrion of University of the Philippines, 87.8%
• Paolo Luna Guzman of University of the Philippines, 87.7875%
• Rockylie Dominique Laureta Balisong of San Beda University, 87.7375%
• Claudine De Luna Panotes of Arellano University, 87.6875%
• Janel Nathalie Ang Co of Ateneo de Manila University, 87.6625%

Click here for the complete list of passers in the 2023 Bar exams.

Meanwhile, according to the Supreme Court, the top five law schools with more than 100 first-time candidates are the following: 

• Ateneo de Manila University - 159 passers out of 169 takers, 94.08%
• San Beda University -  130 passers out of 141 takers, 92.20%
• University of San Carlos - 170 passers out of 187 takers, 90.91%
• University of the Philippines - 229 passers out of 256 takers, 89.45%
• University of Santo Tomas - 104 out of 122 takers, 85.25%

—NB, GMA Integrated News