First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos has lauded the students and professors at the West Visayas State University (WVSU)-College of Law after the Iloilo-based school achieved a perfect 100-percent passing rate in the 2025 bar exams, producing 12 new lawyers from its maiden batch of test takers.

In a celebratory social media post, Mrs. Marcos — a member of the WVSU law faculty since 2022 — said the feat shows “numbers don’t lie, especially in the [dreaded] bar examinations.”

She praised the students not just for taking the bar, but for “owning it” within just three years since the college opened, highlighting that a young provincial law school can compete with, and even outperform, longer-established institutions.

The WVSU College of Law emerged as the top-performing law school in the country in the category of institutions with 11 to 50 examinees after all its 12 candidates — 11 of them first-time takers — passed.

This placed the Iloilo school ahead of San Beda University, the University of Makati, Notre Dame of Marbel University and University of Southeastern Philippines. Under the leadership of Law Dean Ian Thomas Besana and former dean Pauline Grace B. Alfuente, WVSU has quickly gained a reputation as a rising legal education institution in Western Visayas.

“Congratulations to the 12 new lawyers… then again, who’s counting?!” the First Lady quipped, extending her greeting not only to the passers but also to their professors and families “who stood behind them every step of the way.”

“Galing talaga ng Pinoy!!” she added.

Her remarks capped the congratulatory messages from local officials and legal circles during the testimonial dinner in Iloilo City where she personally honored the new “Taga-West” lawyers.