UP law grad tops 2025 Bar exam; Ateneo named top-performing school

For the second straight year, a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law topped the Bar examination, as announced by the Supreme Court of the Philippines on Wednesday afternoon.

Jhenroniel Rhey Timola Sanchez led the 2025 Bar examinations with an average score of 92.70 percent. Placing second was Spinel Albert Allauigan Declaro of the University of Santo Tomas–Manila, who scored 92.46 percent.

Completing the Top 10 were: third placer Alaiza Agatep Adviento from University of Santo Tomas–Manila; fourth placer Angelica De Castro Mitra from De La Salle Lipa; fifth placer Marc Angelo Santos from University of Santo Tomas–Manila; sixth placers Jeowy Loyloy Ompad from University of San Jose-Recoletos and Enrico Gabriel Paguia from Ateneo de Manila University; seventh placer Johan Raphael Gata from University of Santo Tomas–Manila; eighth placer Marie Shantelle Sarmiento from the University of the Philippines; ninth placer Richmond Lucas from University of La Salette; and tenth placer Jusmin Teriann Yap, also from the University of the Philippines.

Children of DAILY TRIBUNE columnists also made it to the roll, with Atty. Joji Alonso's son and actor Jerico Alonso Antonio and Atty. Eduardo Martinez's son Enrique Miguel Se Martinez among the 2025 passers.

Meanwhile, Ateneo de Manila University emerged as the top-performing school after producing 104 passers out of 106 examinees, posting a 98.11 percent passing rate.

The University of the Philippines followed with 214 passers out of 221 examinees, while University of Santo Tomas–Manila ranked third with 104 passers out of 108 examinees. The Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation also made the list, recording 85 passers out of 106 examinees.

Among institutions with 51 to 100 examinees, Ateneo de Davao University topped the category with a perfect passing rate, as all 80 of its examinees passed. De La Salle University-Manila followed with 50 passers out of 53 examinees, while Polytechnic University of the Philippines posted 65 passers out of 69 examinees.

Compared with 2024 Bar exams

The 2025 Bar examinations posted a higher passing rate of 48.98 percent, compared with 37.84 percent in 2024.

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

The passing grade was likewise raised to 75 percent in 2025 from 74 percent the previous year.

The 2025 Bar examinations, chaired by Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, marked the largest Bar exam in history in terms of the number of examinees.

The oath-taking and signing of the Roll of Attorneys are scheduled on 6 February 2026, at the Philippine Arena.