Karen Mae Calam
She was ecstatic when news came in that she topped the 2016 bar exams, which 3,747 hurdled out of 6,344 examinees for a record passing rate of 59.06 percent, one of the highest in history. But a wave of euphoria swept many parts of the country when full details came in that three of her fellow alumni from the University of San Carlos, three graduates of Silliman University, and a graduate each from Andres Bonifacio College, University of San Agustin, Ateneo de Davao University, Northwestern University and University of Batangas, all based in the provinces, made it to the Top 10. It was a breath of fresh air. The Manila-based law schools, perennial producers of topnotchers, including the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and San Beda College, were totally shut out. “I really didn’t expect to top the exams although you pray for it,” the 30-year-old Calam said.
Ramil Comendador
There he was—his hair disheveled, a smile on his lips, and both hands clutching a copy of the list of successful examinees—posing on the steps of the Supreme Court before cameras. He was on cloud nine and rightly so. Amid the din of celebration by bar passers, the 35-year-old former janitor at the Commission on Elections was celebrating a personal triumph against all odds. While working as a utility man for then Election Commissioner Rene Sarmiento from 2007 to 2010, he attended evening classes to study pre-law. After completing this, Sarmiento encouraged him to enroll in a law school at the University of Manila, and he did, using his salary to pay for his tuition. While reviewing, he rented a small room so he could concentrate, going home in the evening to cook dinner for his wife, an engineer, and their two kids.
Judy Taguiwalo
The biggest news on Wednesday was the 24-member Commission on Appointments’ (CA) overwhelming rejection of Environment Secretary Gina Lopez’s appointment. But something else happened that day. In a separate CA deliberation, Sen. Vicente Sotto III put Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo on the spot when he asked her why she was single when her information sheet indicated she had two children. She responded by saying that her “life has never been a normal one.” Sotto pressed on by remarking: “In street language, when you have children and you are single, ang tawag ay na-ano lang.” Taguiwalo, a university professor, said she respected all kinds of families, including solo parents. Sotto’s comments set off a firestorm of criticism on social media, prompting him to apologize to those who didn’t get the joke.
Rachel Peters
British-Filipino entrepreneur Rachel Peters made headlines this week with her triumphant return to the beauty contest stage when she bagged the Miss Universe Philippines title in the 2017 Binibining Pilipinas pageant, which culminated early morning on Labor Day. Peters, who grew up in England, studied in Australia and worked in Thailand, not only took home the top plum, she also received the Best in Swimsuit, Face of Binibini, Jag Denim Queen and Binibining PLDT Home awards. Her first foray in the national pageant scene was in the 2014 Miss World Philippines where she finished fifth despite being one of the early favorites for the crown. She redeemed herself in the 2017 Binibining Pilipinas pageant and wowed the judges and the crowd with her impressive response to the question-and-answer round. She bested 39 other aspirants to become the country’s representative to the 2017 Miss Universe pageant.
Kim Mangrobang
Marion Kim Mangrobang has long been one of the stalwarts of Philippine triathlons. And recently, at the Subic Bay International Triathlon, she showed exactly just why. Mangrobang, 25 years old, finished fifth with a time of 2 hours, 12 minutes and 28 seconds in the women’s elite division of the race—the best among the Filipinos in the field. Not only was the performance a worthy show considering the talent in the race, but it was enough for Mangrobang to achieve one of her top goals of the year: Get a chance to represent the country in the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur this year. The opportunity allows Mangrobang to shoot for a better finish than in the last edition of the biennial meet. She was a silver medalist in Singapore in 2015. Mangrobang bucked a poor start to her race, pouring everything she had in the swim and run phases to book a strong finish.
Mary Joy “Majoy” Baron
Majoy Baron was always a steady, quiet presence for La Salle’s Lady Spikers. And the manner by which she sneaked up on everyone to win this year’s UAAP women’s volleyball MVP trophy certainly matched her personality. Baron upended favorite Jaja Santiago of National University for the award, which left many surprised. Not only had Santiago led the race for most of the season, but Baron had always played under the shadows of her more popular teammates, Kim Fajardo and Kim Dy. But there was no denying the lanky lass’ worthiness for the title. Her steady presence has been, well, valuable, as La Salle’s Lady Spikers successfully defended their crown behind Baron’s play. In fact, her performance early in the season helped alleviate fears that the defending champions would crumble under the weight of key graduations from last year’s team. Majoy Baron simply refused to let that happen.