The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday announced that 207 of its personnel, including those from attached agencies, are among the 5,594 examinees nationwide who passed the 2025 Bar Examinations.

The new lawyers are set to take their oath on 6 February 2026, at the Philippine Arena.

Of the 207 passers, two are from the DILG Central Office, 15 from regional offices, 109 from the Philippine National Police, 40 from the Bureau of Fire Protection, 29 from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, eight from the National Police Commission, and three from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.

Several of the bar passers said their decision to take the Bar was shaped by their experience in public service and their desire to protect people’s rights and welfare.

Hana Rea Pagapong of DILG Region 10 said she plans to continue serving communities in Misamis Occidental. “I plan to use this opportunity to further serve my community in Misamis Occidental by building on my ongoing work of guiding elected public officials, particularly at the barangay level,” Pagapong said.

Kareen Estabillo of the DILG Bureau of Local Government Development said passing the Bar strengthens her work at the Local Fiscal Reform and Development Division. “This equips me with legal knowledge necessary in reviewing proposed and existing policies to ensure its compliance with the law while ensuring at the same time that it will benefit the LGUs and their constituents,” she said.

Senior Fire Officer Gilbert Berou of the National Fire Training Institute said his experience as a first responder shaped his journey to becoming a lawyer. “My service in the BFP and my calling as a lawyer are united by one purpose: to serve with honor, competence, and dedication to the public good,” he added.

Nesreen Abdulrauf Hadjirasid of the NCMF said passing the Bar enhances her role in advancing inclusive governance. “Passing the Bar Exams strengthens my role now as a public servant in NCMF, an attached agency of DILG, because I have legal knowledge useful in policy and program development and budget proposals for the advancement of the well-being of Muslim Filipinos,” she said.

The DILG said the achievement reflects the department’s culture of excellence and its commitment to building a competent, ethical, and responsive bureaucracy.