By Chris Siquijor and Gian Carla Guido
From the 2019 Bar Examinations, it took more than two years before the recent bar exams successfully pushed through. Under the new normal, things have greatly changed. How did the San Beda College Alabang – School of Law (SBCA-SOL) prepare itself for the “best bar ever?”
The SOL Centralized Bar Operations (CBO) is the organization in charge of assisting Bedan barristers. Within the past two years, the CBO continued to plan and work to fulfill its objectives, and last February 4 and 6, the organization’s efforts had finally culminated.
According to Kathleen Capulong, the CBO’s Logistics committee chair, they ensured that their bar candidates would not feel alone, even in these times of physical distancing.
The CBO also delivered ‘care packs’ to the bar examinees. “The contents of the care kit were carefully planned to benefit each and every bar candidate to help them go through every day while preparing for their bar exam,” stated Christian Boy Benedict Tiangco, the CBO Over-all Chairperson.
Inside the care packs were popcorn, peanuts, coffee, vitamins, protein bars, oatmeal cookies, and teas. These even contained messages and quotations from the SOL faculty, and a message from the CBO Executive Committee with their contact numbers.
Further, CBO even compiled songs in a Spotify playlist dedicated for the bar candidates. Some of the songs were even suggested by San Beda’s very own professors and administrators.
According to Tiangco, “[a]lmost all bar examinees, including the mentors and school administrators, were given the care packs.” The care packs and bar kit supplies were only distributed once but the CBO ensured that the contents “would cover all of their examination days.”
In addition to providing care packs, the CBO also organized several activities for the 2020/2021 Bar takers, namely, the 2020 and 2021 Bar Mentoring Program; the 2020 Bar Review Series; and the 2021 Last Minute Lecture Series.
Tiangco also spoke of challenges regarding transportation and virtual communication.
After conducting ocular inspections, the CBO compiled parking recommendations and maps in different exam sites. The details were forwarded to the bar examinees through Viber. Tiangco also said that the CBO arranged for the transportation of some bar examinees during the exams. “On the actual days of the Bar Exams, some of our officers also circuited Metro Manila and Laguna to physically aid our examinees in whatever kind of help they would need. Each exam site has CBO officers waiting for them in areas near their schools, ready to help whenever they call for it,” he added.
“There were no major challenges we’ve encountered aside from the fact that everything had to be done virtually,” said the Overall Chairperson. It still amazes us up to this day that we managed to deliver our duties graciously.”
Major adjustments were also made to adapt to the pandemic. The committee for Hotel Operations was replaced with the Operations committee. The Chairperson for Operations, Maria Angela Alexandria Albotra, was responsible for the organization, packing, and securing the delivery of the care packs and bar kits. The CBO’s sponsors and suppliers delivered hundreds of boxes of their donations to Albotra’s residence, where she packed each care package.
The CBO also introduced two other committees—the Logistics committee and the Bar Matters committee. The Logistics committee was set up to oversee planning, implementing, and controlling the movement of the care packs and documents of the examinees. The Bar Matters committee, headed by Louie Ann Someros, oversaw the bar examinations-related announcements and documents—from posting the exam rules, regulations, and reminders announced by the Supreme Court to assisting examinees in acquiring some of their documents from the registrar. Someros and her deputy personally went to SBCA to collect the examinees’ documents. After collecting these documents, the logistics team and the communications team worked hand in hand in arranging for the delivery of the documents to the examinees’doorsteps.
Aside from academic needs, CBO gave an even greater emphasis on giving their best moral and emotional support to this year’s bar takers, taking into consideration the current scenario. ∎