Lawyer Nilo Divina penned an inspirational letter to all candidates of the 2020/2021 Bar examinations amid the still raging pandemic.
The Bar examinations will be held on Friday, February 4 and Sunday, February 6.
It will be the first digitalized and localized licensure test in history.
This will also be the biggest batch of bar candidates. The bar exams were canceled in 2020 following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bar Chairperson Marvic Leonen, also associate justice of the Supreme Court, previously advised candidates who tested negative of COVID-19 to continue their isolation before the exam date.
Leonen also told them to “be kind” to those who have tested positive.
“Also, keep in mind that there are those who tested positive. Be kind,” he said.
READ: Bar candidates told to continue isolating after negative COVID-19 tests
‘Trust your training’
In the letter released on Thursday, February 3, Divina, also the dean at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, told the examinees or “barristers” to cheer up for making this far amid the challenges of the past two years, including the ongoing health crisis.
“I speak for everyone when I say, the past two years is far from the comfort zone. It is out there in the war zone. It seems it has posed on us a daily war for survival, a daily win against not contracting COVID, a daily exercise of finding hope in a dark time for the whole world,” he said.
“Right here, right now, you are no ordinary persons and you are for sure not the same persons you were two years ago,” he added.
Divina also further delved into the hardships and other “unnamed” things the barristers went through to reach this point in their lives.
“You had studied and labored through many sleepless nights, through anxious waiting, through missed family activities, through reading and studying in the middle of sickness, family problems, financial hardship, quarantine, emotional trauma and many, many other unnamed things that you did not allow to stop you from getting to this moment,” he said.
Because of this, he said the examinees are now ready to conquer the much-anticipated test as the last challenge.
“And my dear barristers, I know each of you well enough to say – THIS PANDEMIC IS NOT AN OBSTACLE TO YOU. IT IS A CHALLENGE, one that you have conquered and will continue to conquer, as you move on to the next phase of this season – the Bar Examination itself,” he said.
For Divina, the coming historic bar exams are dedicated to the candidates’ families, their lost loved ones, their schools, and themselves.
The veteran lawyer then advised them to “trust their training” and have faith in God.
“I am here to remind you: trust your training. Trust your state of preparedness. Trust your character muscles. Believe in yourself,” Divina said.
“But most of all, trust in God. He has carried you through many adversities. He has lifted you up from many burdens. He will not fail you,” he added.
Divina ended his letter by offering a few words of wisdom.
“So, my beloved children-in-LAW, leave your comfort zone behind, take a leap of faith, and fight for your dreams. We are with you every step of the way. Together, let us claim victory and forge your destiny. God bless you,” he said.
