My name is Raymond Cruzette, and I would not be taking much of your time since the first reactor, and

our speaker have basically summarized for your battles in life. What I would like to focus on. Is actually, is simply something that we hold your St. Louise leadership. It is what we call , being a Christian lawyer. St. Louise University, is a school of the CICF, the CICF is a congregation of priest. Within the past five years, during well, Fr. Jessie Hechanova, became our president. He inculcated to us basically, 4 core values. These are: Christian spirit, social involvement, competence and creativity. These 4 core values have been spread throughout all our schools. From the undergraduate, the school of law, the school of medicine and basically this goes down our entire schools. The basic excelsior is basically. We have to be involved in society, we have to fight for the poor, for the under privilege. We have to be present in their lives. Earlier it was said that at the start of the period we are often, we are ideal, we have this idealism. Ladies and gentlemen, Im here to say that yes. We should have that idealism and eventhough, throughout the practice of our profession, we should not loss that ideal, we should not become jailed. When I was taking up legal ethics under our dean in special sessions, sa hula take it from me. He told us, there are 4 piece in passing the bar. These 4 piece were: prayer, prayer, prayer and perseverance. I see now , that these 4 piece are also important in what makes a lawyer. He should have prayer, prayer, prayer and perseverance because this is what, we learn in the classroom translates to who we become as lawyers and it is my dear hope that all of us here. All of us law students will become ethical lawyers. The study and the practice of law is a profession its a vocation, it is a labor of love. But we must always remember that it is a labor of love not only for ourselves, but also for the people. Thank you and good afternoon. The third reactor for this session is no other than Mr. Jaime Tumulak, from the University of Cebu. Dean Candelaria, former Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera, good afternoon. And good afternoon to all my fellow law students. I, as you know, Iam Jaime Tumulak, from the University of Cebu, a practically Im the only law school, coming from the Visayas, representing Visayas, and I just arrived here in Ateneo last this morning and lawning to hold, I was tasked to give a reaction. I am reminded, since this is a Christian institution, I am reminded in the story of the Bible over the prophet Daniel when he was fed to the Lions, but he was not, he was not eaten alive because he gave us speech, which Iam now tasked to do. Basically, my previous colleagues have always been earlier. They have set everything. I will just be direct to the point and be realistic. Coming from my own experience back in the province, former Solicitor General, always express a while ago that it is a good option to be a government lawyer. But somehow, that possess a problem, because back in our province there is an apparent and looming reality that there is many vacancies of RTC judges positions, in fact unfortunately. I was, I knew of a, of our professor who has 2 positions and the distance of the RTC branches are 150 kilometers and he will not be given travelling expenses. So, how can you attract government lawyers where in fact the basic salary, a the salary is not that good and because of that. My bosses client, because of that judge who is always travelling. My bosses client was raveling in

jail because he was not in his RTC branch. He was in the other branch. So clearly, it was a delay in justice. So thats basically, my challenge and also it is said here that this session calls for a guide towards a responsible and globally sensitive practice of the legal profession. When you talk about globally, develop countries have always said, it is always a term now, the term sustainable development all for the environment. I have this clear and I have this challenge also because back in Cebu, we have established a group, it is called road revolution. Basically, we are changing the demands of society by leaving roads and pushing for biklings. If you want to bike, you bike. If you want to walk, you walk, you run. But you reduce the efficience. For a time it became successful, we will always have road tests and something like that, I would like to add because due to this the writ of kalikasan. I would not expound because I forgot my notes. Anyway, we quite humans goes successful. But eventually, we lost the funding, no matter how hard we try. We cannot even give something to our, give something to our staff. So, in responding to the challenge hopefully, fortunately or unfortunately well become lawyers. That was post by a joke. Anyway, my basic point is that whichever side we do, we never learn the realities of the job of the profession. I would like to end with the immortal words of Tom Hanks, from the riddle doodle fiat. He was asked, why would he become a lawyer and he said that not always but most often than not, we get to be a part of justice being done. Thank you.

Thank you for that fairly, enlightening and entertaining reaction. I think its very fortunate. I think we all are fortunate to be here, to hear from different perspective. Its very refreshing to hear their sentiments as we also get to learn and get to be inspired from all their reactions and comments. And it gives me great pleasure to, introduce our fourth reactor or speaker, for this session. He is actually a delegate from the ASEAN Law Students Association, all the way from Singapore and we are very fortunate that he can also share his experience and react or talk about something from his own country. So without further adieu, I would like call on here in the podium, Mr. Gerald Tam. He is also the President of. A very good afternoon to everybody. My name is Gerald, Im the president of the ASEAN Law Students Association, which is an association of law students from all around Asia yet, 11 member countries right now with Yale Espede and also Philippines being one, being most active and being most inspiring member countries. So without any further adieu, Im not sure weather to react, just comments briefly on these globally sensitive practice, legal practice and then we will show as to what we can offer to the law students in the Philippines. So much as I wanted to say has really been covered by the speaker and the reactors. Note that the practice of law in todays world is essentially global. We will not just incorporate law with international insurance such as the CISG, but also in human rights issues such as human trafficking, and drug trafficking and politics. So these are issues that transcends national boundaries and is necessary transcend national boundaries and to tackle them will involve an

international response. So that means that the ethical lawyer in this suit has to really encompasse the values of the world rather than the national values of the lawyer and that is what I just wanted to re emphasize because, thank you so much for inspiring us of all the different professions and all the different career options for lawyers in the Philippines. But just to let everybody here know. You know, the legal and ethical problems that lawyers face in this world are necessary international. So that is just a very long segue into what else is necessary for law students here in Asia also its really a network of law students that aim to bridge law students from all around Asia to share and to career kit and what their views are and what their current practice of the geo education and the standards of geo education in the country is. So we meet twice a year, and also conference, and also forum, we shall briefly introduce shortly and I just want to share with you how inspiring and how much of a role model Yale STO also Philippines has been. For all of us and also just 4 months ago I was with Dino in Japan. I was with Dino in Japan at most recent forum, and he shared with us how the association of law students of the Philippines really excellently stands up and commence on constitutional issues be it behaviorism for example last year or was it last year or two years ago there was an issue of the midnight election of the Chief Justice of the Philippines and to have law students commence on very current issues such as that, is something that we do not see across Asia. The role of law students in Asia has traditionally been second degree to the demands of the profession and the demands of the legal system as a whole. So in the Philippines, to have the representative collection of law students and the responsible seat within the legal system is very inspiring for the rest of us in Asia especially in the rest of ASEAN. So, without any further adieu, let me begin a short introduction as well essays and what we can offer to the law students of the Philippines. So the next side please. So, some of the recent events that we come through as mentioned earlier are also forum in Japan, just an office and ongoing in concurrent with the study trip to the Philippines on human trafficking is the STEC that is going on in Baguio right now, and its really a time between ASEAN members and MORO-UNITED NATION members within Indonesia and its bringing together both the diplomatic role of lawyers and law students in the future and the legal profession is just a seat. I will be very keen to see the product of this sunny shoot in Valley. So, if you want any more information about any. You can approach either Dino or myself after this. And just last one, I came back from Italy from the European Law Students Association, from which we learn a lot from as an established organization be a more than 30 years old and it was that I came to know of the very rules, base, processes of the European Law Students enjoy the practice. Whereas, here in Asia we try to approach issues by more consensual involved manner. So, it was very interesting to compare in thrust Asian law students and European law students. So, these are the set of opportunities that being in the ASEAN Law Students Association, will offer you. Is that exact? Ill just make sure introduction about the upcoming ASEAN Conference in Malaysia it will be held in Feb. 10-17th in Kuala Lumpur, and Fogiraya International Convention Center, its one of the best convention centers in the whole Asian Region. So, what else is. Behold the Lawpa competition every ELSA conference and this is an opportunity for potential lossers

want to participate in even more international moves to exercise the inherent skills. So this year we are practicing on environmental laws sustainable development, so it will be on environmental law and ELSA conferences ELSA chart in general also involved law of non-academic activity such as legal physics, to various law firms and various institution around the country and we given taking a shoot non-academic to recreational chart to Gerikaya and ??? and just some organization information which of course you can approach Dino and myself after this. And next side, and also forum, where we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary at the ASIAN Law Students Association. Now, the Asian Law Students Association has its roots in the ASEAN Law Students Association and to see this regional cooperative atlas become even larger and to encompass Japan, Korea, China even and Taiwan is something that we hope law students from all cross Asia will benefit from and it is this step that will enrich them into enriched and so that the first big step towards future international cooperation of future lawyers and US also cities across Asia. And with that Im after notation on ELSA and the globally sensitive practice of law and the legal profession and I hope that everyone here has something to take away from this law students congress which I will also be sharing with the rest of the ELSA Governing Council as a means by which law students can come together and represent themselves in the legal system of the country. So, thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr. Gerald Tam. So, at this point after hearing the speech from the different speakers here before you, before we end our session, it is important since this is indeed a law students congress. To hear from the law students yourselves. So at this point, there will be open forum and if you have any comments, or questions, or other reactions to the speakers or to the topic, feel free to just approach the center mike and introduce yourself as well as your school and you may address one of the speakers or just share something or comment on something. Anybody, from the different schools or universities or if you want to add to their reactions and share your own perspectives. Ah, perhaps this is the time, I have a question: Good afternoon everybody, Im John Michael Tipon a student of the University of Petiss, College of Law, which is the school where Mayor Alfredo Lim, is a graduate, this is a school where Dean Amado Valdez, the present President of the Philippine Association of Law Schools is also a graduate, Im very glad to the opening statements of our former Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera regarding persuading us to enter into the government service. When you speak about the OSG, Office of the Solicitor General, I recall my former professor in Political law also a former Assitant Solicitor General, Oswaldo Agcaowili. He said that Office of the Solicitor General is a better option for a new lawyer in a government service rather than the Public Attorneys Office by Atty. Persida Acosta. He emphasized to me that he was able to win a case in the Office of the Solicitor General regarding whether or not Gambling is a political or a justiceable question and I also recall one of the decisions the Supreme Court rendered during your tenure as OSG as a concerned citizens of the Manila Bay

case. I remember that the doctrine that is being inforced by the Supreme Court in monitoring the implementation as to whether or not this concerned agencies DENR, MMDA, are helping one another in cleaning the Manila Bay. This is the doctrine that was practiced in India. In the clean up of the Gashes River, the sea of death of Indian civilization and that is the doctrine of continuing mandamus. And there is also a very controversial case that was also decided before. The case of Mary vs. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Allan Peter Cayetano and also the other respondent was Senator Rodolfo Biazon, who was the chairperson of the Committee on National Defense and this decision was highly criticized because it suppressed the truth of all the allegations of fraud, of corruption, and mismanagement of governance by no less than the accused the former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, thats why Im changing my option to entering into the government from the Public Attorneys Office to the Office of the Solicitor General because the Office of the Solicitor General is an independent government law office. Before her speech, I opine that this is an independent government law office because the Solicitor General is appointed by the President and Im persuaded that the Office of the Solicitor General, can also go against the government of the Republic of the Philippines, therefore, the Office of the Solicitor General is also an independent body like the Supreme Court, chaired by Chief Justice Renato Corona, these are all my comments and reactions in the speech delivered by our honorable Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera, this also my ambition to become one of the Justices of the Supreme Court. Before I slept, I see myself as one of the Justices wholl be coming out of the chamber of the Supreme Court preparing to greet all lawyers for an oral argument. To become a member of the Supreme Court, it is mandatory for us to become a Solicitor General first, particularly that I saw Associate Justice Roberto, who is also formerly a Solicitor General, before he stopped his law office until such time of his appointment to the Supreme Court. Thank you very much. Perhaps, in the future, you will be one of the speakers as the Justice of the Supreme Court. May I, may I. Yes Maam. I guess the first part is the dissenting opinion. And the last part is dont commit the mistake of applying as the 16th Justice of the Supreme Court because there is none make it despite I was not there. Thank you so much. So, are there other comments, insights? Hi, good evening Im name is Shalana, Im from Singapore, I have a question for Atty. and Mrs. Devanadera. Yesterday the foreign delegates, we had the privilege of watching live the oral arguments at the Supreme Court. So, I was just wondering what the position would be regarding the watchlist on the issue by the ???. First of all, I like Singapore, thank you. We like Philippines too. I really like to be there ah yes and. We attended some of the cases in ICC. So I was there quite often when I was Sol. Gen. So what particular thing about the case? Do you want me. I was just wondering what your position on the matter. Why my position is. Yeah, ah ok. Of course, when I was Secretary of Justice that circular was, its now circular 41 because it was revised by my successor Justice Agra. It was already in existence at the time that I was Secretary of Justice but I was a little taken a back and one week issued some WLOs. I at a certain point, I had a study conducted and the study the result of the study is that there is some infirmity and because of that I did not have that issued

especially to no political enemy of the administration then. Particularly, Senator Ping Lacson. So, it was not issued. Now, trying now with the present case. Ah, I think, the position now of the petitioner. Of course, we have a problem because we may not have the right post recur for the issue of the right to travel. But the lawyers in us should be able to divorce the constitutional issue and the personality. Because the constitutional issue here is the right to travel and under our constitution, it is so worded that, the right to travel is absolute except by law, and the law should be based on national security, public health, and public order. So, that is the cutting edge in all this issue on the watch list. And also during that watch list circular has been there since 1998 but, there has never been contentious cases, because I guess it was issued in the manner that its just a watch list. You watch who will be leaving and if the person is in the list you coordinate with the Department of Justice and if there is no warrant of arrest then they are allowed to depart from the Philippines. There was never a contention. So, if you were able to attend previous oral arguments then, some of the questions were, the watch list order amounts to a hold departure order which under the Philippine law only the judiciary can issue. Actually dont need to issue the hold departure order if you read our Criminal Procedure because if you are out on bail. You are under the control of the court and that amounts to hold departure order in Philippine jurisdiction. So, going back the provisions on the constitution on the right to travel is quite simple. It is absolute and can have its limitation only when there is a law. And the law must be based on national security, public health, and public order. As it is, we dont have a law. And therefore, the right to travel is absolute. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Hi, good afternoon. Im Noel Linton, Ateneo Law School. My question is. Ah, Maam. Do you recommend for a new lawyer, a fresh graduate lawyer, to go straight, work for the government or to be first enter a private firm before entering government practice?Thank you Maam. Ah it depends, it depends.If the private law office hired you first, because at times the difficulty in government, is that. There are times that there are no vacancies. And its the other way around. Now what is the advantage. It was pointed out financially, when you go to a private company, a private law office usually you have better pay. In terms of training, I think if the law office is not as big as that big law offices. The chances of having diverse kinds of cases are not there. The usual cases youll meet in smaller law offices. But if youre in government, but it depends in which government office. If youre in the Office of the Solicitor General you get to meet the constitutional issues which you dont get to see when you are in other offices private or public. When you are in the national prosecution service, its everyday you have a hearing practically, so what you will miss on is really the time to study deeper the issues presented in criminal cases. So, it really depends. Well ah, we had problems before of getting new lawyers because they said that we have to have gainful employment, thats a real issue. Of

course, we have to maintain the idealism as my co panelist have said ah but again there are limitations. So it depends on your priorities. Thank you. Hi good afternoon. I would just like to ask a follow up question with regard to what you said, Maam. You said that we must keep the idealism alive. And I think, I speak for all the law students. We come to law school with a certain idealistic perspective. But then, after our first year we realize that its very difficult that being ideal is not very ideal because its really hard to get your message across and you read about all the injustices around you. So, to all the speakers how would you suggest that we keep this idealism alive throughout law school and until we graduate and become a lawyer? Thats all please. Well actually when I was introduced they said that I was an idealistic freshman. Im not actually a freshman anymore technically speaking, because I went to UP for two years and I went to UP law for two years and I entered with an idealistic perspective at that time and during those two years I kinda saw how the judicial system work at UP. We had a lot of field work, we went around the Supreme Court and stuff. And, I got this main idea initially that I didnt like it. Thats why I left law school and when I joined the campaign. I dont know if its a good thing or a bad thing that I joined the campaign for President Aquino and then I worked in government for a while and we realized how much were fascinate with Im sorry maam, how much were fascinate with it is inside there. So, we decided to leave, and then set up our own company which helps people in the way that we wanted and then I realized, look if we dont get involved. If we dont involve ourselves in this issues, these things will never change. So, I decided at that point I have to go back into law school. I have to go back into law school finish it. If I have to punch back, whenever they take me down, then I do that so long as I get to the position where Ill be able to implement those changes and when Im there everything we worked hard for, everything that we wanted to change in the start, well be able to do that. So what Id like to ask everybody here is to keep that spirit in you alive. You know, all that want for change, keep it in you. Dont let it go even after you pass the bar, even when you become a lawyer. People will offer you a lot of things. There be a lot of temptations in life but please keep that spirit alive and make sure that you do the right thing all the time. Thank you.

I guess for me, the way I maintain my idealism over the years, has been through actually a friend. This friend of mine, is actually a Brgy. Captain and through him I interact with the grassroots. I interact with manong basurero, I interact with the janitors, with the people whose, the street sweepers. And I see how hard their lives are compared to us and when I see that difficulty that they have, it makes me realize that this is worth something fighting for. Even though their injustices have been around us and as we said its sneaked with out there. We still have to fight for them. These are the people that matter, these are the people who keep our country alive and like Jose Rizal have said The Filipino is worth dying for. We are worth fighting for also.

Good afternoon, I always feel that it was safety out there. Ah, I do not mean anything. Ah I come from the Province, my father-in-law is also a lawyer. So, I always know the realities of the legal profession even before I entered it. But, Im idealistic in the sense and also realistic because well like for example when I work in my fathers office and theres a Congressman client and the fact of the matter is what happened would be the Judge and the Congressman will always have an agreement. And you cannot do anything about it. It would be to naive to say that it was done without the eloquence of an argument. But then again, when I joined a legal aid program and I helped people who needs to be helped, then you go back to what you really want to do in law school. So, basically I may not have all. But, at least I will have some and thats enough for me. Thanks.

I know everyone except to say youre joining ELSA. Im not gonna say that. Like what, I have got a secret I believe into. One of the weeks to keep idealism alive, is to keep that issues alive. You know, not just through discussion and participation and involvement in the issues and programs of certain issues. But to all rhetoric and events like this, you know. You know, all that who have spoken have translates that into action. And thats something that we do at ELSA. We are actually like that. You know at ELSA we discover at every single event, we discover that across all the issues that is the communality of issue that we base. You know certain problems faced can be analogized in another jurisdiction. So, Asians, can also likewise be you know learned. Therefore, talk to it to your own legal jurisdiction. So, in a sense find your own spectrum. In spectrum means a few friends, a community of people who share the same passion as you and rely on that spectrum to continue to drive your ideals and that is something that I believe will keep your idealism alive throughout 4 years of law school 1 year of bar exam and then a future job and thereafter to your legal careers. So thats my virtual answer.

Good afternoon. Just one hypothetical question. We know that youre all idealistic as we have heard. But once in your life. Have you ever felt disillusioned by your own ideals? Thank you. I thought, they wouldnt discover. Well yes, yes. I found myself the victim of my own idealism. But, this is where I call it the cutting edge of your maturity because just because in one instance youre just so disgusted and so disappointed that you will throw the idealism away out of the window. You have to go back, because thats your handle that will be your anchor. Everyday will not be the same, youre because of yourself and say that everyday will not be the same because there are many things that you just have to accept and remember the prayer of St. Francis of Asisi to accept the things that you cannot change and to know the difference. Tama ba yung prayer ko. Thats the way we have to face the realities of life. Ok now,

that Mr. Idealism. Ah, I guess disillusion is really part of life. In my experience its not something everybody can really relate to primarily because Im sure a lot of that people here today are not affiliated and for those who are affiliated probably you guys just dont understand a lot of disillusion. Ah, entering any organization for that matter. You enter with a lot of ideals, idealism and you state that as a collective, you guys will go far and be able to fight for that ideals and when you realize that there are certain realities you have to face and that there should be things which cant be change of course you get disillusioned. Like what she said, it will only strengthen your want to change all of these things. So, I guess yah, its part of life and it is not to get passive, maturity. Thanks

The short answer is yes. And actually its been a couple of times already that I feel disillusioned by my own idealism. But each time I pick myself up and say again it is worth fighting for of course. And thats basically how I deal with the disillusion. Thank you.

Ill share the same reflection with my colleagues. No, basically thats the difference between real and the ideal. The real is something which you can see for yourself. Ideal is something that is rhetoric philosophy. Its something that its in the heavens. The problem with us is because we set our standards and of course, human as we are realistically. We always fail to come up or somebody at least fail to come up with the standard and the problem we lower our standards and we lower our standards which should not be the case because ideal it is something that is up. It may not be. Its perfect. Di ba, if we talk about ideal originally thats the difference between ideal and real. In reality you go down. But, theres always a notion, you have this principles. You believe in the principles no matter what. No matter how exhausting or lack of hope lack of faith. It is basically, we are always. Im not an Adwana. Im an alive speaker. Im the author of my ??. Thats my message of course we cannot always do what is best. It would have been better if all of us are the best law schools. Di ba. But it was contented a while ago. But deep in our hearts in each our own law schools. We try to achieve the best that we can do. And thats always enough.

Plenty of time, plenty of time have been distributed by my ideals, plenty of time have been faced by challenges and seem each about to go, obstacles that you know I dont think I can overcome and I suppose, as long as I know whats right and Im willing to put in the another life in there. As long as I know whats right and Im willing to put the agfa to see things to the end then I suppose I would be all with my life with as pure regret as possible and thats what idealism is. I always hinge to it. But hinge by hinge of reality. Thats my perspective on idealism. So, hopefully that helps.

Ah, Im JB Espinosa from the ?? College of Law, Im the student council president. This is question post to the students particularly ah in all what I learned in law school. Its always the letter of the law, its always following the constitution, following the doctrines. But then again, I noticed that lawyers cant use this same letters of the law to their advantage and sometimes to promote some injustice. So this, is a concern to the 4 of you. Are you an advocate of the letter of the law or an advocate of injustice? The letter plus the spirit of the law equals justice. Thank you. Well you know honestly given that idealistic. We dont choose. I dont think we have to choose one. I mean the letter of the law is one thing and the injustice is another. Like what she said letter of the law plus spirit equals justice then if thats what she said. Then we had about question? I mean yes, the letter of the law is what we uphold, its what we studied all four years. But then again, we always know that its hinged on the different kinds of Justice, there is moral justice and whatever justice you want to call it. So wherever you feel that you were doing the right thing and you that know your conscience is clear. That makes you a lawyer because first and foremost you are an advocate. And if you advocate something and if you believe in something and you fight for it, so be it. Thats what justice is to you. Thanks

I guess the letter of the law should give light to the spirit of the law and that is where as former Solicitor General said the letter of the law plus the spirit of the law equals justice and I think I could not put it more eloquently than that. Thank you.

This is that special that Im going to answer. Ah all this time I will tend to disagree with my former law lawyers hopefully. Because I tend to dichotomize there is a difference in the letter of the law, what is law, and what is justice. There are many Supreme Court decisions wherein many professor in our province who are always critisizing the decisions of the Supreme Court. Because they are decisions of the Supreme Court it stands. What Im saying is that the letter of the law. What is the jurisprudence on that. Not necessarily what is just in that sense there is a dichotomy as students would like to follow justice but as lawyers what we observe is the law. Ok, thank you.

To provide some comparative examples. So lets have the law and justice often used in a country like China where they rule by law and Singapore law un perii perides. Perhaps, the government in a way it is a very loaded question. Lets have the law and the justice and I suppose in a country wherby at large that two sink with each other. Then the choice will be difficult. So I will make a hot choice. Im an advocate of justice rather than the letters of the law.

Okay thank you very much for that very enlightening questions and answers. Although some are already philosophic but still applicable to our law profession as students. So, I guess were ready to finish with our fourth session. And before we finish our event. We would like to first call on Dean Candelaria and Dean Duba to give our 2 kits to Atty. Agnes Devanadera and to Josh Villena, the 3rd speaker. We would like to greatly thank the co-reactors for this session. We also would like to thank the coreactors for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd session. Maybe please request the reactors to go to the center stage and have the picture taken with Atty. Agnes Devanadera and Dean Duba, and Dean Candelaria. Hopefully, we could join also but I think, were not permitted. Hows everyone. I hope youre not that tired ah kaya pa ba. Wow, yes maam, thank you very much. We would like to call on Dean Duba to give our closing remarks. Well last Aug. 5 we had the congregation on legal education as part of the 75th year anniversary celebration of the Ateneo Law School. As you have made aware that one day convocation focus on the discussions, on the state of the legal education from the perspective of the administration and the educator. Today, we had this Law student Congress on Legal education and this convocation is taking the legal education from the perspective of the students or from the stake holder. Both events or both efforts are first in the history of the Philippine Legal Education, its a milestone. In both events we are fortunate to have speakers who are people who provide important and significant directions or contributions to the Philippine Legal education. This morning, we have Justice Hilarion Aquino, who is now the chairperson of the legal education board, we also had Justice Roberto Abad and as you know he is the chairman of the 2010 bar examination. Which bar examination is also the first, in the sense that. Its the first time we change the system of measuring the competence of students or graduates of law school who wants to become lawyers and today. We are fortunate to have him, to share with him what happened in the 2010 , 2011 examinations and what are the improvements that we hope to be able to have in the next bar exams. So, you can be sure that the next bar exams, definitely there will be MCQ and of course there will be essays again and it seems that the Supreme Court is very encouraged by the result of that examination. Now for today, we are also very. It is also a milestone and very important significance to have all students of various law schools who share with us your experiences, your feelings, or your thinking about how you would like to pursue your legal education. It is very inspiring to hear everyone here this afternoon, sharing your idealism, and trying to hold on to that idealism and hoping that this idealism can be balanced with the realities in life. So, in behalf of the Ateneo Law School. We would like to thank of course, Dean Candelaria, who spearheaded this congress, the Bernas center, of course the Association of law students of the Philippines, who also participated here and we are very lucky to have representatives from the ASEAN LAW STUDENT ASSN., represented by Gerald Tam and other members of the association who are here today. It so happened, that they are having their annual conference here in the Philippines or visit however. So, we are lucky to have him and having shared with us what ASEAN LAW STUDENT ASSN., stand

for and the activities and plans that you have for everybody. So, we would like to thank all the law students who took time to be with us this whole day. And as planned by Dean Candelaria we are going to document the whole days affair, the whole days riches, the whole days sharings and we would like to share this with everybody and all the law schools and to all the law students all over the country. Thank you and good afternoon. I would like to thank my classmate former Solicitor General Agnes. Thank you very much, Maam. So, I guess theres nothing for us to talk about anymore. We have tackled a lot today, weve talked about legal education in the Philippines, weve talked about the bar examinations, the deformat, weve talked about possible careers as a lawyer, and perhaps as a closing as your host for today. We would like to thoroughly ask each other for questions that we might like to answer. We will try to rule as a reactor and as a speaker as well. I think she has a question for me and I dont know this question. So, whats our question. So, maybe basically, as the host for todays activity or todays congress. Simple, what did you learn in very briefly. Ah, thank you very much for that question. Ah basically, ah the things that I learn today is that. I think that a lot would agree with me, is that again this is the first time that this happened in the Philippines and I think a lot of us here is also their first time to have participated in this wonderful event. And the thing that I learned about this event , is that legal education is not a one way street, wherein we just respond to whatever the authorities would give us, the common tools they would give us, the necessary curriculum, our schools that the role that we have to pay is to try and pass the course and try and graduate in our school. But we and I learned and I hope a lot here would also agree with me that. I learn that as law students the secret of legal education, we have to voice out our concerns, our comments, our opinions so as to further improve on legal education here in the Philippines. And I think the ALSA also would advocate such an idealism. But again, thats the important thing for me that. Finally, as law students, our professors are Deans and Deans in the Philippines. We will now have a basis for better rules like in laws that are promulgated by the legislative department or the Congress. They will promulgate rules that are responsive to the needs of the constituents of the citizens of the country. So, this is I think is a microcausm of the whole country wherein we need to air out our concerns because again we are the recipients of legal education for us to become great lawyers at that. So, I applaud myself for my answer. So, this is now my question for you Bert. So, how do you take this will help you as a law student? Meaning the law students office. Actually, since basically were not yet lawyers and were only here as law students continuing to study and to adopt into the very challenges of law school and all the other challenges that we have to endure as a person and I think in this Congress one of the most health contains that Im able to is applying the 4 sessions will be the fact that in this days we are very fortunate enough to attend because we gain more knowledge and information and as law students we continue to gain more knowledge and information and through this information we have to learn to apply it, to adopt it, to use it, to forward justice, to forward the principles and values and idealism, to enter it, before we become lawyers and more importantly the very different information that I got from the different sessions, allowed me my role as a

law student as law student we always act like that kind of bubble that its just us we need to be lawyers. So, we study, we study hard and we try to perceiver. But this session allow me to slooth at it, in a way, in a more societal and a larger scale and first in being able to know the legal education and be able to get that person as a law student to be hopeful and to realize that no student can actually have that degree, have a role in legal education and they can forward their opinion as what we have said. And it is also part of the community as we do our own law schools and thats how we should continue to help each other through the bar operations and knowing information with regard to the bar exams, examiners, exams the different comments we got in the second session. It is all hopeful that hopefully, there will only be 4 subjects when we take the bar but at the same time it was very inspiring and its uplifting to hear that it ended well and that the results were good and that they actually take a lot of precautions and to making sure that the exams are indeed satisfactory and it was not only just unilateral and opposing. And lastly, as a law student Im very fortunate and enlightened to end this session in a very idealistic, and inspiring note, philosophical note from hearing the different schools in their own perspective and how they approach legal education, legal profession and no matter what option we have or career we may take on in the future, I hope that as all those who were part here can bailey forward and continue to mobilize people, inspire people and share the information that you have also heard from our wonderful speakers, wonderful reactors and the people that we met here including the delegates from other country who actually provided a lot of insightful realizations and comments that actually made me think and at the same time inspire me. Thanks. So now, we know that there is a civil. So to end the event, we would like to thank specially Dean Candelaria and Dean Duba for your attendance here. We would also like to thank the speakers, our 4 speakers: Justice Aquino, Justice Abad, Josh Villena and Atty. Devanadera thank you very much, thank you very much. We would like to thank this is in no particular order ok, I know all of us here are very competitive but this is in no particular order. We would like to thank the delegates from ATENEO LAW SCHOOL, in no particular order delegates from DE LA SALLE LAW SCHOOL, representatives from UE, FEU, PHIL. LAW SCHOOL, all the way from the north, the University of Baguio, UST, the very entertaining representative from Cebu, San Beda, ALSA representative, University of Manila, and the Fr. Juaquin Bernas volunteer center. Thank you very much.