A total of 10,816 candidates are expected to take the 2023 bar examinations, the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Philippines  through  the Office of the 2023 Bar Chair announced yesterday.

Of  this total,   5,832  will  be taking  the  bar  exams  for  the  first time, while 4,984 will be taking the same for at least the second time.  An estimated  number  of  2,571  bar  personnel  are to  be  deployed nationwide to the National Headquarters and 14 Local Testing Centers, all set to welcome the 2023 Bar Examinees and ensure the smooth conduct of the 2023  Bar Examinations.

This number includes Court  officials; Judges; numerous  personnel  from  the  Supreme  Court,  the  Court  of  Appeals,  the Sandiganbayan, the Court of Tax Appeals, and First- and Second Level Courts; and lawyers in the government and private practice.

This year’s  examinations, which will  be  held on 17, 20 and 24 September, are divided into six core subjects: Political and Public International Law (15 percent); Commercial  and  Taxation  Laws  (20 percent); Civil  Law  (20 percent);  Labor  Law  and Social  Legislation  (10 percent);  Criminal  Law  (10 percent);  and  Remedial  Law, Legal  and Judicial Ethics  with  Practical  Exercises  (25 percent).

The  core  subjects  were determined  and  approved  by  the  Court En  Banc  upon  thoughtful  review  of previous syllabi  and due  consideration  of  the  latest  developments  in legal practice.

2023 Bar Examinations are: 1) San Beda University — Manila; 2) University of Santo Tomas; 3) San Beda College Alabang; 4)  University  of  the  Philippines  —  Diliman;  5)  Manila  Adventist  College;  and  6) University of the Philippines — Bonifacio Global City (National Capital Region); 7) Saint Louis University; 8) Cagayan State University; and 9) University of Nueva Caceres (Luzon);   10) University of San Jose — Recoletos; 11) University of San Carlos;  and  12)  Dr.  V.  Orestes  Romualdez  Educational  Foundation  (Visayas); and 13) Ateneo de Davao University and 14) Xavier University (Mindanao). The National Headquarters of  the 2023 Bar Examinations will be  at the San Beda College Alabang in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, chairperson of the 2023 Bar Examinations, said the Office of  the  Bar Chair has been daily  and  closely  monitoring  the  Bar applicants’  responses  and  feedback  from all the Court’s releases regarding the Bar Examinations.

“We connect with the Bar takers through the hard work that we share. To  be  with  our  baristas  is  our  way  of  giving  them  a  feeling  of  enlightenment, comfort,  a boost  of confidence,  and a  push  to  proceed  and  succeed,” Justice Hernando said.

All announcements regarding the 2023 Bar Examinations may be viewed on  its  microsite  at  the  Supreme  Court  official  website: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/bar-2023/.