UC hosts Pilot Mock Digital Bar Exams

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Cebu City, the country’s second largest city, has made waves in bar history for producing top-notchers and remarkable lawyers. 

Last Sunday, January 31, 2021, the city once again left another mark as the University of Cebu (UC) was chosen to host the Pilot Mock Digital Bar Exams in the Visayas. 

“We’re happy and privileged that the Supreme Court has chosen us in particular. It’s a historic event, not everyone is given this kind of opportunity to serve,” said lawyer Al-Shwaid Ismael, dean of UC School of Law. 

The Supreme Court (SC), in a statement issued by its Public Information Office (PIO) on February 1, 2021, said the Pilot/Mack Bar exams conducted nationwide last Sunday was a success.

“This is part of the Court’s reforms to make the bar examinations more equitable and inclusive while at the same time maintaining the standards of the legal profession,” portions of the statement read. 

Other testing sites were Ateneo de Manila Professional Schools in Makati City for law schools in the National Capital Region, St. Louis University in Baguio City for law schools in Luzon, and Ateneo De Davao University in Davao City for law schools in Mindanao. 

The High Court also said a total of 80 law students participated in the activity. 

They added that updates on the modality of the bar examinations this 2021 are expected to be announced in a bar bulletin by the Bar Chair in mid-February. 

In the meantime, Ismael said local universities like UC School of Law are looking forward for the start of bar examinations this year as the SC, in 2020, decided to decentralize bar exams by designating Cebu City as a regional site. 

“This will make the cost of becoming a lawyer less expensive, and in general, it will level the playing field,” said Ismael.

Aside from regionalizing the bar examinations, the SC is also expected to introduce a digital aspect of the tests. 

“It’s about time that we transition to digital (bar exams) as part of a bar reform. And if ever it’s going to be digital, it’s about to time we have to consider investing in softwares,” Ismael added. 

As far as UC School of Law is concerned, the dean said they have already started preparations for the digitized bar exams. 

While the university was chosen to host the Pilot Mock Digital Bar Exams in the Visayas, Ismael said this is not a guarantee for the school to be the venue for the upcoming bar examinations. 

“Being a testing site does not ultimate make us the site for the actual bar examinations,” he said. 

UC started its preparations for the pilot mock bar exams as early as December in 2020, with the School of Law as its implementing arm and majority of the costs shouldered by the school, Ismael said. 

/bmjo

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