In his prefatory remarks, 2011 Bar Chairman, Justice Roberto Abad, provided a brief history of the bar exams. Since its inception in 1901 by an American Justice, E. Finley Johnson (who was then serving in the Philippine Supreme Court), its coverage has been modified over the years to reflect the changing needs of the legal profession.
(The highest passing percentage of 75.14 percent was registered during the 1954 bar, while the lowest rate was 16.59 percent during the 1999 bar. This year, my fearful forecast is a passing rate in the 30s.)
To give proper credit where credit is due, the person who first advocated bar reforms in the early 2000s was Justice Vicente Mendoza. The person who carried it through, and actualized the good intentions by implementing these reforms is Justice Abad, whose efforts should earn him the accolade, “Father of the Modern Bar Examination.” (It will be up to the 2012 Bar Chairman, Justice Martin Villarama, to follow and build on the gains achieved thus far.)
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