University of the Philippines law graduate Mark Xavier Oyales placed second in the result of 2013 Bar Examinations officially released by the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday, March 18.
In an interview with ANC’s Headstart on Wednesday, March 19, Mark Oyales gave an advice for those who don’t have financial means to pursue their dreams.
“Your financial condition is not an obstacle for you to reach your goals. You just need grit, resilience and fortitude. You just have to strive hard to achieve your goals,” Mark said.
“We’re not rich,” he added.
Mark’s mother is cashier at a bakery while his father is the supervisor of the security division at the city hall. Though his parents were already contented with his undergraduate degree, he decided to pursue to study law without asking financial support from his family.
He once thought of becoming a doctor but then realized medical school would be too expensive for him. Mark said that it was his college professor who advised him to take up law and was the one who paid the fee for entrance exam of the UP College of Law held in Cebu as well as his two-way airline ticket.
Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza and his wife, lawyer Concepcion “Chit” Jardeleza, (–foul word(s) removed–)ociate Dean of the UP College of Law, became his sponsors while he worked part-time to finance his law school expenses.
During the results day of the 2013 Bar Exams, Mark thought of going on a “bus to nowhere” but he decided to spend it in prayer in his parish church.
While praying, the parish priest called him saying he placed second in the Bar Exams but he ignored what he just heard because he’s still waiting for his contact at the Supreme Court to notify him.
“He is supposed to text me kung pumasa ako. So hindi ko hinonor yung other texts, maski calls. So I thought na, baka hindi tama ang natingnan niya [the priest] so hindi ko muna pinaniwalaan. But then he kept calling me,” Mark shared.
Currently, the new lawyer works at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Law Office with fellow Bar p(–foul word(s) removed–)er Ferdinand Richard Michael Manotoc. Like others in their firm who were to take the bar exams, the two followed the company “tradition” of clearing out their desks the day before the results were announced.
“We do the walk of shame. If you fail the bar exams, then you are automatically fired. So before the bar exam results came out, we had to remove all our things from the office. We finished all our work. Mike and I even did the ceremonial closing of the lights,” he said with a laugh.
Being an official lawyer now, Mark Oyales plans to join the judiciary after working in the private sector.
