The Supreme Court of the Philippines on Wednesday released the names of the 5,594 passers of the 2025 Bar Examinations, ushering in a new generation of lawyers set to serve the nation.

The 2025 Bar Examinations posted a passing rate of 48.98 percent, higher than the 37.84 percent recorded in 2024, despite the increase in the passing grade to 75 percent from 74 percent last year.

The total number of passers also rose, with 5,594 examinees passing out of 11,425 takers in 2025, compared with 3,962 passers out of 10,490 examinees in 2024.

As the calendar turns to 2026, the newest batch of lawyers includes 14 Underbar Associates from DivinaLaw, headed by Nilo T. Divina, dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law.

DivinaLaw recorded a 100 percent passing rate for its Underbar Associates in the 2025 Bar Examinations. Two of the firm’s examinees placed in the Top 5: Marc Angelo G. Santos, who scored 91.58 percent to place fifth, and Alaiza A. Adviento, who posted a 91.91 percent rating to rank third overall. Both topnotchers are alumni of the UST Faculty of Civil Law under Dean Divina.

Dean Divina’s mentorship extended beyond the firm. Another UST Law alumnus, Spinel Albert Allauigan Declaro, placed second overall with a score of 92.46 percent, giving UST three of the Top 5 placers in the 2025 Bar Examinations.

Overall, the UST Faculty of Civil Law posted a 96.3 percent passing rate, a marked improvement from 80.4 percent in 2024, placing the school third nationwide in terms of highest passing rates this year.

Under Divina’s guidance, the next generation of lawyers will, according to a post on DivinaLaw’s Facebook page, begin their journey of “dynamic lawyering, defined by prompt, proactive, and results-driven advocacy.”