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[av_heading heading=’ City gov’t big help in Bar – new lawyers’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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Friday, May 12, 2017
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ILOILO City – Working at the city government was one of the factors two new lawyers said they passed the 2016 Bar examinations.
Atty. Love Faith Hayco and Atty. Jhanrey Gonzaga said they felt how it was to be a lawyer even before passing the Bar by just working at the City Legal Office (CLO).
“We had a lot of debates at the City Legal Office. We reviewed cases and discussed with the lawyers. These helped me passed the Bar exams,” said 29-year-old Hayco.
Another advantage was having access to the City Legal Library “where you can see updated books on law. The books helped me a lot with my readings,” she added.
Hayco said becoming a lawyer was not her initial plan.
“At first, I felt that this path was not for me and so I stopped studying,” said Hayco.
However, Hayco said, she later decided to resume her law studies after realizing she could do better as a lawyer.
Hayco graduated in 2015 and took the Bar examinations that same year, however, she did not pass.
“I decided to transfer here in Iloilo since this city is very peaceful and not populated,” said Hayco, a native of Mindanao.
Hayco started working with the city government in 2016 as a job hire and later on as Legal Assistant II.
Unlike other aspiring lawyers, Hayco said she did not enroll in review centers before she took the exam for the second time.
“I only had a few weeks to study considering that I have a work here. Instead, I utilized my lunch breaks for studying,” said Hayco. She also added that she did not feel any pressure during her second time taking the Bar.
After taking oath as a lawyer on May 22, Hayco said she foresees herself having more obligations. She has no plan of leaving the CLO. She is also a member of Zoning Board Secretariat Committee.
To aspiring lawyers, Hayco advised: “I don’t want you to study hard, I want you to study smart because if you do, everything will be easy for you.”
Meanwhile, Gonzaga who took the Bar three times, also said the city government helped him grow as an individual and at the same time becoming a lawyer.
“One of the things that helped me passed was the debates. We were assigned with cases and the lawyers here let us debate and share ideas with each other. That is why I am very thankful especially to City Administrator Hernando Galvez for patiently teaching me,” said Gonzaga.
“It is a privilege for me to continue working here. I think this is my time to pay back the City Government,” he stressed.
Gonzaga applied as job hire in 2013 and was promoted to Legal Assistant II in 2015.
Patience proved fruitful and practice made it perfect. Gonzaga failed the exams in 2012 and 2015.
“I was nervous during the third time but I told myself it is better to try than not to try at all,” he said.
Gonzaga noted that before the results were released, he felt anxious and so he decided to file a leave.
“I actually filed two days leave because I was very nervous. But upon knowing it, I could not contain my happiness. It is really my dream to become a lawyer. I want to achieve something in my life and I feel that I have something to be proud of now. This is for my family,” he added. (Iloilo City PIO/PN)
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