Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan presented all 20 questions from the morning examination on Political and Public International Law during the traditional Breakfast with the Deans at San Beda College Alabang on Sunday.

The annual gathering with law school deans was held on 6 September, the first day of the 2026 Bar Examinations.

Gaerlan, chairperson of this year’s Bar exams, recalled that preparations began more than a year ago with a meeting with law school deans, which he described as the “beginning of a partnership anchored in a shared commitment to uphold the integrity of the Bench and the Bar.”

“I will not pretend that the past months have been easy. There were times, more than a few, when the weight of the responsibility felt heavier than any office could carry. But then I was reminded that no one fulfills a task of this magnitude alone,” he said.

Gaerlan also thanked Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and the other Supreme Court justices for their support throughout the preparations.

“They gave my team something we needed most in the harder stretches of this mission: a glimmer of hope. That hope inspired and sustained us. And it is the same hope I aim to offer back to the examinees who begin their own arduous journey starting today,” he said.

In his Chairperson’s Report, Gaerlan said Bar Bulletin No. 1, released in October 2025, introduced a condensed and reformed syllabus designed to reflect the demands of modern legal practice.

The changes placed less emphasis on rote memorization and greater focus on judgment and responsibility.

“Crucially, the Bar coverage was shaped in consultation with the law deans, giving the academe a meaningful voice in the process,” Gaerlan said.

A total of 2,469 personnel were deployed across 15 local testing centers for this year’s examinations.

Gaerlan said the Supreme Court, through the Office of the Bar Confidant headed by Atty. Bettina Melchor, also introduced a digital learning platform for personnel training and assessments.

He said the 2026 examinations likewise reflected the Supreme Court’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027.

“Hindi para sa atin ang humadlang, magkulong, o kumitil ng isang pangarap. Dahil para sa lahat ang mag-ASAM,” Gaerlan said.

Gesmundo, meanwhile, reflected on changes introduced to the Bar examinations during his tenure as he delivered the closing remarks.

“As you know, this will be my last Bar Exams as Chief Justice,” he said, noting the introduction of fully digitalized and regionalized examinations and other reforms under the SPJI.