TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Even after becoming a medical doctor, Maria Linda Gabit Gavino sometimes still dreamed of pursuing law, her first choice, but after she got married and had established her practice in this city, she resigned herself to being a frustrated lawyer.
But unexpectedly, the fulfillment of the dream again became within reach when the Kalinga-Apayao State College, now Kalinga State University (KSU), opened its College of Law in 2011.
The mother of five, the eldest is taking up law at the Arellano University in Manila, Gavino recalls that during the next four years, through what she calls “time management and proper prioritization,” she was able to mix her hospital duties at night, teaching chores in three local colleges during the day and her law classes not to mention her family obligations.
Gavino said that of the 85 first enrollees of the school in 2011, there were six of them who graduated in 2015 but that unfortunately, the three who took the bar that year including herself failed.
She was among the nine KSU graduates who took the challenge this year and this time, along with three others, she made it, earning her the distinction of being the province’s first ever doctor-lawyer.
Jovito Aggueban, one of the four KSU passers, said that being an orphan, he did not stand a chance to fulfill his dream of becoming a lawyer if not for the timely opening of the KSU law school and the kindness of others.
He relates that a classmate had offered to pay his tuition fees in the first two years and that through the recommendation of the same classmate, he was hired as legal aid clerk of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Kalinga and Apayao Chapter which enabled him to finance the remainder of his studies.
Dean Errol Comafay informs that bar passer Johnny Wayet teaches at KSU while Angelique Balisang works at the National Food Authority.
Comafay said that the experience of its first lawyer products have proven the wisdom of the establishment of the college which is “to make legal studies more accessible to people of the province.”
“In the past, it was very expensive for someone from Kalinga to pursue legal studies because they have to go to the cities. Many of our students are those who cannot leave Kalinga because of their work, business, family or lack of finances,” Comafay, a product of the University of Santo Tomas, said.
Asked for comments on the development, retired KSU law dean Eduardo Buliyat said “KSU is now as good as any other law school in the country and I am inviting fellow residents of Kalinga and other neighboring provinces to take this opportunity to enroll in KSU.”
KSU President Eduardo Bagtang stated that the passing of the four graduates of the school will end the fear that the law course will be closed after participating in the bar for three years without a passer referring to their debacle in 2015.
“The 44.44 percent passing rate of the university will inspire us to work harder in order to surpass the passing rate next bar exam,” Bagtang said.
The passing rate in the 2016 bar exam is 59.06 percent, one of the highest passing rates in recent times.
Comafay informed that their instructors who are a mix of private practitioners and government lawyers including judges have instilled in their students not to feel inferior because they are studying in an unknown provincial law school.
“We emphasized to them that technology, particularly the Internet, has removed the disadvantages of provincial law schools. Since the Supreme Court is now publishing its decisions in its websites, provincial law schools can teach the latest developments in the law and jurisprudence to the students. This development is highlighted by the fact that the top ten passers in the recent bar examination came from outside of Metro Manila,” Comafay said.**By Estanislao Albano, Jr.
