Silliman University alumni are showering the 2016 Bar topnotchers Alanna Gayle Ashley Khio, Marie Chielo Ybio, and Andrew Stephen Liu with cash incentives and a brand new car.
Alanna Khio, second placer of the Philippine Bar Examinations, will get a brand new car from lawyers Francisco and Whelma Yap, who earlier pledged to give a vehicle to anyone who could place fourth in the Bar, in keeping with Atty. Frank Yap’s achievement of being 4th place in the 1966 Bar examinations.
Another Silliman alumni couple, US-based Dr. Rolando V. del Carmen and his wife Erlyn, have pledged to give cash incentives to Sillimanians who land in the Top 10 in the Bar examinations.
Khio will get a cash incentive of $4,000, while 9th placer Marie Chielo Ybio and 10th placer Andrew Liu are assured of $2,000 each.
The Yaps and the del Carmens made their pledges in October last year, in an effort to inspire the students and faculty to achieve their best.
The Del Carmens also pledged $5,000 to any Silliman alumnus who tops the Bar; $3,000 to anyone who places 5th, 6th and 7th; and $1,000 to anyone who graduates with honors.
They also pledged to donate $1000 to the law faculty if the graduating class obtains a 100 percent passing.
Exuberant Dumaguetenos filled social media pages with congratulatory messages Tuesday for the three Bar topnotchers from Silliman University, as well as for other successful passers of the country’s hardest and most celebrated licensure exams.
This is the first time for Silliman University to have three Bar topnotchers.
The other successful examinees from Silliman are Jose Realito Acas III, Joselle Amahit, Reynil Arcide, Arman Catacutan, Ma. Chiarra Cui, Gretel Kelly delos Santos-Dy, Chandrina Divinagracia, Jet Michael Ferrolino, Francis Ray Filipinas, Gilbert Agustin Ganir, Norman Kelly Herrera, Carolyn Jaugan, Rea Jane Malcampo, Abel Montejo, Frances Emily Sanchez, and Nelrose Uy.
Khio, a Nursing graduate of Silliman University, said the death of her aunt who had wanted to become a lawyer prompted her to fulfill her dream by studying to become a lawyer herself.
Atty. Sheila Lynn Catacutan-Besario, dean of the SU College of Law, said the whole Silliman community is on cloud nine.
What Silliman did differently for this batch of barristers was the introduction of the mock bar exams under the auspices of Atty. Golda Benjamin, who only started teaching at Silliman in 2014.
Dean Besario said they also intensified their review classes and the Juris Doctor thesis program.
Lawyer Benjamin said she was inspired to introduce the mock bar exams to teach their students how to write clear, short, and organized answers to suit the classic CRA format (Conclusion-Rule-Application).
She said that because a Bar examiner checks more than 50 booklets a day, a student will most likely score low if the answers are not well-written. “We aimed to write only half-page answers consisting of three to four sentences,” she said.
Benjamin said that everyone put in a lot of hard work in achieving the 87 percent passing of their graduates.
She also lauded the humility of their students that allowed them to be mentored, and go through the same work that Manila students go through.
“Our students did well, and were properly-supported by our faculty. The same performance would be achieved by students of any other school, in any place, if they do their best, and their faculty would do as well,” noted Dr. Ben S. Malayang III, president of Silliman University.
Not a few were taken by surprise with the results as this was the first time that no one from the big Manila law schools (UP, Ateneo, San Beda) made it in the Top 10.
Meanwhile Foundation University also produced eight new lawyers: Maricel Asonio, Chester Ceriales, Alexylle Rose Concepcion, Cherry Claire Culminas, Ronel Depalubos, Gesta Riva Gamo, Candace Dale Gonzalez. and Alzhain Sadjail.
Foundation University posted a 42.86 percent passing average.
The Negros Oriental State University also produced five lawyers: Camad Ali Jr., Sirah Baybay, Joenard Garcia, Maria Antonia Tubog, and broadcast journalist John DX Lapid.
Lapid, who is now working with radio station DYAB in Cebu City, said he vowed to pass the Bar this time on his third try as it was really hard to be away from his wife and two daughters during the review leading up to the month-long exam.
“I told myself ‘no more failures.’ I claimed it, I prayed the hardest, and changed my ways,” he said in his Facebook post.
Khio said she is still undecided if she will work as a corporate lawyer or with the Provincial Attorney’s Office. “It depends on the opportunities,” she said.
For his part, Andrew Liu said he is still overwhelmed at being in 10th place, but added that he was just so happy to pass the Bar.
He said he put in 10 hours of study time every day, and had some time to rest his mind, like going to the mall once a week.
He said he was most confident in political law and taxation but had difficulty in criminal and remedial law. Liu said he will forever remember the teachings of his favorite teachers, lawyers Levi Estolloso, Norberto Denura, and Edward Sedillo.
Alanna Khio said her favorite teacher at law school is Fiscal Angela Charina Cortes. (Irma Faith Pal)
