Judy Lardizabal, the topnotcher of the 2008 Bar examinations, got through college with the perseverance of a tricycle driver and a market vendor.

"Tiyaga naming mag-asawa... Tricycle driver lang," Diodato Lardizabal, Judy's father, told radio dzMM when asked what did he and his wife did to help the bar top-notch get through college.

Mr. Lardizabal said his wife sells goods at a public market in Cavite province. He also said that Judy would not have made it through college if not for her perseverance and determination.

He said Judy is the second of three children. Their eldest is an overseas worker in Germany. Their youngest child was not able to finish high school and now has a family.

Lardizabal of the San Sebastian College bested 6,364 law graduates from 108 law schools who took the 2008 Bar examination last September.

She topped the bar examinations with an 85.70 percent rating.

Lardizabal and the other 1,309 board passers will take their oath at 2 p.m. on April 28, 2009, at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Justice Dante O. Tinga, who chaired the 2008 Committee on Bar Examinations, said the number of those who passed represented 20.58% of the total examinees. The exams were administered through Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant Atty. Ma. Cristina B. Layusa.

Last year, the passing rate was 22.91% which represents only more than 1,200 passers of the more than 5,600 who took the bar. That was lower than the 2006 passing rate of 30.6%.

The passing rate had to be adjusted and lowered to 70% from the usual 75% because of the very few number of passers.

Given the strictness of the examiners or the checkers of the exams last year, only about 280 examinees would have passed the 2007 bar had the passing rate not been lowered.

The bar is said to be the toughest licensure exams in the country. -- with a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News