MANILA, Philippines – Czar Matthew Gerard Dayday of the University of the Philippines (UP) emerged as Top 1 in the 2022 Bar Examinations as announced by the Supreme Court on Friday, April 14.
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| Czar Matthew Gerard Dayday of the University of the Philippines is Top 1 in the 2022 Bar Examinations | Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Matthew Dayday |
Matthew bested 3,991 exam passers as the topnotcher when he earned a score of 88.8083. Despite his success, Matthew said bagging the top spot is just an added bonus because he was only hoping to pass the Bar, one of the country’s most difficult exams.
He said in an interview, “After the Bar, there were some items that I knew for sure that I was wrong… I really was just hoping that I would pass the Bar. Finishing first was just a really, really good bonus on top of that.”
Matthew recalled that when his last name was mentioned as Top 1, he mistook it for someone else’s. Until finally he realized it was him; he and his family were in tears with the result.
He said, “When he said that the top placer, he said ‘Dayday,’ I was like ‘Oh, may iba palang Dayday who took the Bar. But I realized, ‘Oh, that’s my name.’”
“It was just me crying, my family’s screaming… and shocked that I topped the Bar,” he said.
In another interview, Matthew shared that hard work and studying every day were the secrets to his success. He had a small support group with whom he studied online every day.
He said, “I stuck to my calendar. What really helped me was really studying with my friends,” he also said.
“What we do is around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., we would go on Zoom and study as a group,” he said.
Matthew advises other aspiring lawyers to always be eager to learn and work hard. He said, “Really work hard, be open to experiences, have that curiosity, and that eagerness to learn, to know, and ask questions.”
— Sally, The Summit Express
