Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan urged candidates for the 2026 Bar examinations to make a strong finish as they prepare for the country’s largest Bar examination in history.

“Finish strong. Finish with honor. Then claim it!” Gaerlan said.

The 2026 Bar examinations will be held 6, 9 and 13 September, with 14,291 applicants registered, the highest number in the history of the Bar.

A month before the examinations, Gaerlan, the 2026 Bar chair, told aspiring lawyers that they had already accomplished more than they realized and urged them to push through the final stretch.

He said the dream that began their journey into law should carry them through the final weeks.

“Whatever these last few weeks hold, meet them the way you have met everything so far: head on, without flinching, without looking for the easier road,” Gaerlan said in Bar Bulletin No. 4.

“Strive with hope and grit has always meant fighting for what you want with your eyes open, and your heart unshaken,” he added.

Title worthy

Gaerlan also urged examinees to ensure that their answers reflect their own hard work so they could take pride in their achievement.

“Let them be success achieved through merit, earned honestly, without shortcuts, without compromise,” he said.

“That is the only kind of victory you can be proud of: worthy of every sacrifice you and your families have made, worthy of the title you have given so much for, and worthy of the profession you now stand ready to join,” Gaerlan added.

He said the 2026 Bar examinations are not only about taking a test but also about showing the best of who the examinees are and who they are becoming.

Gaerlan assured the examinees that they were not alone in their journey and said he would be with them until the end, while expressing hope that their dreams would come true.