UST's Ephraim Bie gets nearly P2 million after placing 1st at 2023 Bar exams
Ephraim Porciuncula Bie got rewarded with almost P2 million after topping the 2023 Bar examinations.
On Friday, Dec. 15, The Varsitarian— UST’s official publication—reported that the topnotcher, who scored 89.2625%, has received nearly a P2 million reward from the Thomasian community.
Bie received a whopping P1.25 million from the DivinaLaw foundation. He was also rewarded with P500,000 from Thomasian lawyer Rey Oben, as well as P200,000 from the UST Law Alumni Foundation, Inc., totaling P1,950,000.
Pio Buencamino, another Thomasian topnotcher who placed eighth was also rewarded P530,000 by the DivinaLaw Foundation, as well as P200,000 from Oben and the alumni foundation, amounting to P730,000.
According to the publication, the founder of the DivinaLaw and UST Civil Law Dean Atty. Nilo Divina said that new Thomasian lawyers will also be rewarded with an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan.
Bie’s feat was also deemed remarkable as he ended UST's 23-year drought without a Bar topnotcher.
The Supreme Court released the list of Bar examination passers for 2023 earlier this month. A total of 3,812 examinees out of 10,387 takers passed the Bar, with a passing rate of 36.77%. Ateneo De Manila University placed first in top law schools with a 94.08% passing rate and more than 100 candidates.
The University of Santo Tomas, meanwhile, placed fifth with an 85.25% passing rate.
This year's passers will have their oath-taking and roll-signing ceremonies at the SMX Convention Center Manila in Pasay City on Dec. 22.
The 2024 Bar exams are set on Sept. 8, 11, and 15.