The Supreme Court (SC) has expanded and regionalized the administration of the Arabic language test for the 2026 Shari’ah Special Bar Examinations (SSBE), a move aimed at making the exams more accessible to Muslim Filipino communities across the country.

Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting announced the reform during the Welcome Breakfast on 24 May at Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, which hosted one of the testing centers for the two-day examinations.

A total of 800 examinees simultaneously took the SSBE in four local testing centers nationwide: New Era University with 84 examinees, Ateneo de Davao University with 164, Ateneo de Zamboanga University with 72, and MSU-IIT with 480.

Of the total number of examinees, 45 opted to take the exams in Arabic while 755 took them in English.

Previously, examinees choosing Arabic were assigned to only one testing center. With the growing number of Arabic-proficient applicants, the High Court adopted a localized and regionalized system intended to lessen travel and logistical difficulties.

Inting said the innovation reflected the judiciary’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility by bringing the examinations closer to examinees and reducing financial and travel burdens as well as unnecessary stress.

He also urged examinees to approach the examinations with sincerity and integrity, stressing that the practice of Shari’ah law must remain rooted in humanity and ethical service.

The reforms form part of the judiciary’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, which seeks to make court processes more accessible, efficient, and technology-driven for Muslim Filipinos.

Several members of the High Court visited testing centers during the first day of the examinations. 

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo monitored operations at the national headquarters in New Era University alongside Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa and Raul B. Villanueva.

At MSU-IIT, Inting was joined by Associate Justice Japar B. Dimaampao, who served as bar consultant, and Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, the designated chairperson for the 2027 SSBE. Senior Associate Justice Marvic M. V. F. Leonen also visited the Iligan testing site later in the day, while Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho Jr. observed the examinations in Zamboanga City.

During the Welcome Breakfast, Dimaampao said the digitalized and regionalized Shari’ah Bar examinations demonstrated that the Shari’ah legal system was an integral part of the country’s justice system and of the constitutional recognition of cultural diversity and religious freedom.

Villanueva, who delivered his remarks through livestream from Quezon City, said the Shari’ah Bar examinations tested mastery of Islamic law as applied in the Philippine legal system, particularly in matters involving personal status, family relations, succession, property, and court procedure.

He also emphasized the increasing demand for qualified Shari’ah counselors-at-law amid the expansion of Shari’ah courts nationwide, urging academic institutions to help train future officers of the court who would serve Muslim Filipinos.

The first day of the examinations covered Jurisprudence (Fiqh) and Customary Laws (Adat) in the morning and Persons, Family Relations, and Property in the afternoon.

The second day of the SSBE on 27 May will cover Succession, Wills, Adjudication and Settlement of Estates, as well as Procedure in the Shari’ah Courts.