2012 Bar exam results

Congrats to UP's 2012 Bar topnotchers: April Carmela Lacson 3rd (84.48%) Maria Graciela Base 5th (83.99 percent). Patrick Henry D.Salazar, 7th (83.71%) Francis Paolo Tiopianco, 10th (83.25%). Six Ateneo students were in the Top 10, 4 came from the University of the Philippines and one from Aquinas University.A total of 949 out of 5,343 examinees passed the Bar exams. This is a mere 17.76%.

 

From 1913 to 2012, schools which have produced bar topnotchers (1st placers) are as follows:

• University of the Philippines College of Law - forty-six (46) bar topnotchers
• Ateneo de Manila Law School - twenty two   (22) bar topnotchers
• San Beda College of Law - seven (7) bar topnotchers
• Philippine Law School - five (5) bar topnotchers
• University of Manila College of Law - four (4) bar topnotchers
• Far Eastern University Institute of Law - four (4) bar topnotchers
• University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law - three (3) bar topnotchers
• University of the Cordilleras (formerly Baguio Colleges Foundation) College of Law - two (2) bar topnotchers
• Manila Law College Foundation (formerly Escuela de Derecho de Manila) - one (1) bar topnotcher
• Manuel L. Quezon University College of Law - one (1) bar topnotcher
• Holy Name University (formerly Divine Word College of Tagbilaran) - one (1) bar topnotcher
• University of the East College of Law - one (1) bar topnotcher
• San Sebastian College - Recoletos - one (1) bar topnotcher
• Arellano University School of Law - one (1) bar topnotcher

More women than men have made it to the top ten in the last 12 years of the exams: (71) female Bar topnotchers against (59) from their male counterparts from 2000 to 2011.

The Bar exam in September 2008 had the most women topnotchers. Of the 12 topnotchers, 10 of them were women, led by Judy Lardizabal from San Sebastian College with a rating of 85.70 percent.

Former senator Tecla San Andres-Ziga was the first woman to top the Bar in 1930, with a rating of 89.4 percent.

Men, however, have dominated the top spot more often than women since the new millennium began, with seven male law graduates occupying the pinnacle in the last 12 years.

They are:

• Eliseo M. Zuniga Jr of  UP (2000);
• Rodolfo Ma. A. Ponferrada of UP (2001);
• Aenas Eli S. Diaz of Ateneo (in 2003);
• Noel Neil Q. Malimban of the University of the Cordilleras (2006);
•  Reinier Paul Yebra of the San Beda College (84.88 in 2009); and
• Cesareo Antonio Singzon of the Ateneo (89.00 in 2010).
• Raouel Angelo Atadero of the Ateneo (2011).

Meanwhile, the five women who topped the Bar exam in the new millenium are:

• Arlene M. Maneja of the University of Sto. Tomas (92.90 in 2002);
• January A. Sanchez of UP (87.45 in 2004);
• Joan A. de Venecia of UP (87.20 in 2005);
• Mercedita Ona of the Ateneo de Manila University (83.55 in 2007); and
• Judy Lardizabal of the San Sebastian College (85.7 in 2008).