Ephraim Bie, 2023 Bar Exams 1st placer, is UST's 5th topnotcher in history

MANILA, Philippines — While University of Santo Tomas alumni Ephraim Porciuncula topped this year's Bar Exams, he admits that he still doesn't know what to make out of the situation at the moment.

Bie clinched the no. 1 spot in this year's professional licensure examination for lawyers after garnering a grade of 89.2625% in the 2023 Bar Exams.

"Right now, we're ecstatic of course. We're praying for it of course, especially [my] mother," said Ephraim in a mix of Filipino and English.

"It's a culmination of hard work and prayers. I just don't know what to be, right now."

‘MEDYO CULMINATION S’YA NG HARD WORK AND PRAYERS’

Hindi maitago ng topnotcher na si Ephraim Porciuncula Bie ng University of Santo Tomas #UST ang saya nang malamang nanguna siya sa 2023 Bar examinations.

Nakakuha si Bie ng score na 89.2625%. #Bar2023 #News5 pic.twitter.com/ABtLqaOLIL

Bie bested over 10,300 Bar examinees who took the bar last September. Out of the said number, only 3,812 passed.

Before Ephraim, there have been four other Thomasians who have had the distinction of being hailed as a Bar topnotcher: former Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberto Concepcion (1924), former Sen. Jose Diokno (1944), former President Diosdado Macapagal (1936) and Arlene Maneja (2002).

Besides being a UST Journalism graduate, this year's Bar topnotcher is also known to be an alumnus of "The Flame" —
the official student publication of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters.

While Bie topped this year's exams, Ateneo de Manila University garned the highest percentage of passers at around 94.08%, followed by San Beda University (92.2%), University of San Carlos (90.91%), University of the Philippines (89.45%) and UST (85.25%).

Thousands anticipated the release of said results from all across the country, drawing a highly emotional crowd around tnhe Supreme Court's front yard in Padre Faura, Manila. — with reports from News5