2020/21 Bar Exam: Couple shares success story

Jabar Sabdullah and Cristine Mae Villablanca. | Contributed photo

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines-  Among the successful passers in the historic 2020/21 Bar exams is this couple who graduated from the University of San Carlos in May 2020.

Jabar Sabdullah, 26, and Cristine Mae Villablanca, 26, never thought that they would pass the Bar after all the hardships that they had to overcome.

But now that exam results are out and their names are listed as among the successful passers, both are very grateful that all their hard work and sacrifices paid off.

The couple plans to give back by serving the people while they also plan a life together.

And after they would have taken their oath with the other Bar passers on May 2, Sabdullah wants to continue to render government work just like his parents while Villablanca, who is now working as legal secretary for their family-owned construction company, wants to venture into private practice.

“But like anything else nothing is permanent, our end-goal really is to serve and help others as our Bar Chairman, Justice Leonen has always been reminding us. Good thing we both share the same passion of serving others,” Sabdullah said.

Pandemic

The couple recalled that graduating from law school was never easy.

Restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 even made things more challenging for them.

Sabdullah is an Iligan City native, who now resides in Mandaue City, while Villablanca, who is from Tacloban City, lives in Cebu City.

Although they were already graduating when the pandemic hit, the couple said they had to make several last minute adjustments like shifting from face-to-face to virtual classes.  They also experienced delays in their graduation which eventually ended up becoming a virtual event.

They both graduated in May 2020.

| Contributed photo

Then, the schedule for the 2020/21 Bar exams had to be postponed at least four times until the final schedule was set on February 2022.

Several changes were also made on the coverage of the examination.  And super typhoon Odette hit Cebu.

Following the devastation caused by the Typhoon, they had to endure limitations in power supply, water, and food while they continue to review for the Bar exams.

“Imagine the additional pressure it brought knowing that it is only a few months away from the actual bar exam plus the uncertainty if you could take the exam if ever you test positive during COVID testing day,” said Sabdullah.

But they never lost hope.  And they continued to persevere.

The couple prepared for their exams together by studying eight to 10 hours per day.  They also coached each other and made it a habit to include a mini quiz in their review schedule, wherein they would ask each other some questions taken from lessons that they reviewed for the day.

But they do not also forget to take a break to recharge.  They designated Mondays of each week to unwind by going to the Mall or watching movies on Netflix.

Exam Results

When results of the examinations were announced on Tuesday, April 12, Sabdullah was processing some papers for his employment as Court Decongestion Officer in Branch 8 of the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City, a job which he got just last April 8.

On the other hand, Villablanca was with her family in Tacloban City.  She went home recently to celebrate Holy Week with her family.

Villablanca she was driving home from church when she heard news that she was among the over 8, 000 successful exam passers after a batchmate in law school shared the Supreme Court link of the exam results.

What made her happier was knowing that Sabdullah also passed.

She then called her boyfriend to share the news with him.

“We were both shaking, excited and we found ourselves crying due to extreme happiness,” Sabdullah recalled.

The couple said it has been their life-long dream to become lawyers, a dream which they share with their fathers.

“For us personally, we share the same interest in the law and how it affects the community as a whole. For other people, reading the law may be a little bit boring or difficult but for us, we find it interesting,” Sabdhulla said.

| Contributed photo

Debate class

The couple met nine years ago.  They were both freshmen at USC taking up Political Science then.

Sabdullah said that when he first saw Villablanca, he immediately felt that he wanted he wanted to get to know her better.

He invited her for coffee and they started to date.

Everything became official after the final examination of their debate class in 2013.

With the permission of their professor, Sabdullah said, he occupied a mini stage that was inside their classroom to ask Villablanca to be his girlfriend.

“I went up the stage, called Cristine to the stage, went down on one knee and asked her to be my girlfriend. Fast forward to 9 years, I still believe I made the best decision,” he said.

READ: #BestBarEver20_21: 3 Bar topnotchers from Cebu 

/dcb