A total of 796 examinees – 529 female and 267 male -- finished the two-day Shari’ah Special Bar Examinations (SSBE) administered by the Supreme Court (SC) last May 24 and 27 in four testing centers.

SSBE Chairperson and Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting said the examinations were given both in English and Arabic. Forty-five examinees opted to take the tests in Arabic, he said.

Of those who finished the two-day examinations, 81 took the tests at the New Era University (NEU) in Quezon City; 72 at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU); 479 at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT); and 164 at the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU). NEU was also the national headquarters of the SSBE.

The SC’s Office of the Spokesperson said that the 2026 SSBE introduced regionalized Arabic examinations, an innovation aimed at broadening access to the Shari’ah Bar for examinees across the country.

It also said the reform reflects the SC’s continuing efforts to modernize judicial processes under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI).

During the chairperson’s report at the NEU last May 27, Justice Inting thanked his SC colleagues and the SC’s partner universities that served as testing centers.

He also thanked the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), local government units, law enforcement agencies, health and emergency responders, the bar teams deployed across the local testing centers, volunteers, and court officials and personnel who helped ensure the orderly and secure conduct of the examinations.

He commended the efforts of the examinees who traveled long distances, balanced family and work responsibilities, and spent months or even years preparing for the examinations.

“Each number embodies a story of sacrifice, hope, and unwavering commitment to justice,” he said.

SC members were also present at the NEU and in other testing centers during the second day of the examinations.

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo visited AdZU with SC Associate Justices Antonio T. Kho, Jr. and Maria Filomena D. Singh.

The second day of the examinations coincided with Eid al-Adha, with examinees gathering for the community prayer at designated prayer rooms in all local testing centers nationwide. SC Associate Justice Japar B. Dimaampao, who also serves as 2026 SSBE consultant, joined the male examinees at the NEU prayer room for the community prayer.

SC Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, chairperson of the 2025 Bar Examinations, also commended the NEU for serving as this year’s SSBE headquarters.

Joining Justices Lazaro-Javier and Inting during the chairperson’s Report were SC Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa; Rodil V. Zalameda; Dimaampao; Jose Midas P. Marquez, the incoming chairperson of the 2027 SSBE; and Raul B. Villanueva. The program was hosted by SC Chief Communications Officer lawyer Michael Jobert I. Navallo.

Those who also attended the event were Court of Tax Appeals Presiding Justice Ma. Belen Ringpis-Liban and Associate Justices Jean Marie A. Bacorro-Villena and Corazon G. Ferrer-Flores; Court of Appeals Associate Justices Nina G. Antonio-Valenzuela, Ronaldo Roberto B. Martin, Jennifer Joy C. Ong, Jaime Fortunato A. Caringal, Rogelio G. Largo, and Edilwasif T. Baddiri, president of the Philippine Muslim Judges Association (PMJA); and Deputy Court Administrator (DCA) for Operations Leo T. Madrazo and DCA for Administration Lilian C. Barribal-Co.