Amidst the celebration of the new lawyers, a teacher from Mindanao has successfully passed the 2023 Bar examination despite facing financial constraints that prevented his enrollment in review centers.

In an interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE on 8 December, Keen Steve Bito-on, a Senior High School Teacher in South Cotabato, and a graduate of Mindanao State University General Santos City College of Law, said that he had to resign from his job as an educator for his self-review since he could not enroll in review centers.

"Actually, I did not enroll in any review centers because I am financially constrained and was planning to resign from my job to prepare myself for the bar. Though my parents and siblings are very willing to finance my review, I did not bother them as I did not want to give them any burden; moreover, my parents are already old. Before I left my job, I had already saved money to finance myself," Bito-on said.

Bito-on stressed that during his law school years, he had to balance his studies and his duty as an educator.

"I was a senior high school teacher at Dole Philippine School in Polomolok, South Cotabato. I have to work to sustain myself financially in law school,"

Bito-on mentioned that it was also his father's dream for him to become a lawyer, which motivated him to ace law school.

"I remember that whenever I was asked by my professors why I enrolled in law school, I would always answer that 'it is my father's dream for me,' and all I want is to fulfill that dream. My struggle in law school is big, but my determination is bigger, and my God is bigger. My family is waiting for me until I win this battle,"

"I was not a performing student back then in my previous years. One of my struggles is to read books. Since law school is a jealous endeavor, it requires a lot of your time. Therefore, I have no choice but to read and study," he added while reminiscing how he realized that law school is for him.

When asked what advice he could give to aspiring law students, he said that hard work and faith were key to his success in acing the bar examination.

"Study hard, and pray even harder. I believe the reason I passed the bar is because God saw my effort, and I always put Him first. Indeed, God is good!"

Bito-on is among the 3,812 examinees who successfully passed the 2023 Bar Examinations.