Teaching indigenous people rights helped in bar exam, says passer

Bar exam passer Anne Nicole Roxas Dolfo (center) credits her experience with the Ateneo Human Rights Center for helping her prepare for the test, as she poses with parents at the results announcement at the Supreme Court on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Photo by Dianne Sampang / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Teaching indigenous peoples their rights helped prepare bar exam passer Anne Nicole Roxas Dolfo to take the test, she told INQUIRER.net in an interview on Friday.

Dolfo is one of 3,962 new lawyers produced by the 2024 Bar examination, posting a passing rate of 37.84 percent in results announced at the Supreme Court on Dec. 13.

She joined the Human Rights Center during the first year of her studies at the Ateneo Law School, adding that the organization’s advocacy projects aided her preparations for the bar exam.

READ: Bar exam result 2024: 3,962 passed – Supreme Court

“I learned a lot from the experience. We had partnerships and collaborations with NGOs [nongovernment organizations,] with local communities, indigenous peoples,” Dolfo said in a mix of Filipino and English.

“There were many opportunities for me to interact with different sectors and learn more about our country that you won’t learn just in school or your classes,” she added.

Dolfo recalled that the organization conducted paralegal training with an indigenous community in Palawan province to teach them about their rights, particularly those related to land and the environment.

“I saw that they were very engaged, and they had many questions because the topic is truly close to them, and they had first-hand experiences from which we could learn a lot,” Dolfo said.

Over 10,000 aspiring lawyers nationwide took the tests held last Sept. 8, 11 and 15.

READ: Bar exam 2024 results: Top 10 performers

Kyle Christian G. Tutor from the University of the Philippines topped the Bar with a score of 85.770%.