Sunday, September 07, 2003
4-day Bar exams start today
By Benjamin B. Pulta
MAMMOTH gridlocks in downtown Manila are expected Sunday following the temporary closure of two major thoroughfares-portions of Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard-for the bar examinations.
The Supreme Court announced that more than 5,000 hopefuls will take the 2003 bar exams today, September 7, at the De La Salle University (DLSU) along Taft Avenue, Manila, the start of the four-day exams.
A portion of Taft Avenue, from Quirino Avenue to Pablo Ocampo St., will be temporarily closed to traffic from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the bar exams as thousands of well-wishers are expected to troop there.
A portion of the parallel major thoroughfare, Roxas Boulevard, will likewise be closed for the Alay Lakad walkathon in the morning.
The SC Saturday said that the high number of bar examinees tops the record of 5,453 set in 1963, exactly 40 years ago.
Associate Justice Jose C. Vitug is chairman of this year's bar exams. He will retire on July 15, 2004. He first chaired the bar exams in 1997.
Deputy Clerk of Court and bar confidant Ma. Christina Layusa said the SC has tasked 1,181 personnel including superintendents, supervisors, headwatchers, watchers, bar assistants and special assistants.
Last year 4,659 took the bar exams, with justice Vicente V. Mendoza as bar chairman. Nine hundred seventeen, or 19.68 percent of the total examinees passed. In 2001, 1,266 or 32.89 out of 3,849 examinees passed.
In 2000, 979 out of 4,698 examinees, or 20.84 percent, hurdled the exams.
The first bar exams were held in 1901, with 13 examinees. The record highest passing rate was in 1981, when 43 percent passed. In 1998, that passing rate was almost reached, when 39.63 percent made it.
(September 7, 2003 issue)
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