Source of pride

I can vividly recall when I used to travel years ago in rural areas and even until now, very much visible in front of the houses is a manifestation of a family's pride when a member has achieved something. To have an engineer, doctor, nurse, army or lawyer is such a great pride of the family, the clan - and the entire community.  Much more when a family has struggled financially and yet managed to send their children to college - and succeeded. 

In front of the houses are rectangular thin woods, hanged like chimes, where names of the children with their professions are written, some are chiseled and painted. These are displayed so strategically as if calling all passersby that the house belongs to a family of professionals. And now, even a house akin to a nipa house has streamers that announce the passing from a licensure examination of a son or daughter. This draws attention and inspiration from those who share similar motto that poverty is not a hindrance to success.     After several years of sacrifices that even led to families to sell the much-needed properties including carabaos that are supposed to be farmers' friends in tilling the land in rural areas but because of the dire need to support the studies of their children, doing so seems the only viable option. And for OFW parents, either the father or the mother, unmindful of what kind of job there is, the sacrifice takes several years in a foreign land. This is how we Filipinos value education.  

Recently, the Supreme Court has released the results of the bar exam, which is widely considered as a tough hurdle for those who want to be lawyers. As there are young individuals who aspire to become lawyers but only a few would be lucky enough to make it to the cut. And for this year, a total of 1,731 out of 6,605 examinees passed which is only 26.21 percent, far below reaching half of the total examinees. I know for some who have been taking the bar for a couple of times and never gave up as they already invested so much time, money and effort. And so passing the board indeed calls for a celebration.

From the words of a jurist exemplar, the late Justice Florentino P. Feliciano: "Each year, the law schools who provided the highest scores, publish in our metropolitan newspapers very conspicuous advertisements identifying those fortunate young people. But passing the bar examinations is surely the minimum, the barest minimum, requisite for entering the venerable profession of the law. Passing the bar examinations says nothing about how loyal and true the new lawyers will be to the law itself and to the courts as officers thereof and as dispensers of the justice and truth embedded in the law."

It is my ardent hope that these new lawyers would compose a batch of staunch defenders of the law. They must be true to their profession - to defend those who are in the side of the truth. This must be their opportunity to serve our fellowmen who are disadvantaged and have less in life.

Through this column, as an alumna of both schools that garnered the top post, congratulations to the University of the Philippines and the University of San Carlos. Congratulations to UP High School alumni: Atty. Euvic Ferrer, Atty. Kara Mae Noveda, Atty. Delight Baratbate-Ladot, Atty. Richard Caminade and to all our UP Cebu college graduates.

Mabuhay ang mga tagapagtanggol ng bayan!