Village Connect
A new chapter has opened for legal education in the Philippines as the Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation (DVOREF) College of Law records a landmark achievement in the 2025 Bar Examinations. Fresh from the release of official results, the Tacloban-based law school has earned a place among the country’s top-performing institutions—signaling a decisive moment for regional academic excellence.
Data released by the Supreme Court of the Philippines on January 7, 2026 showed DVOREF ranking fourth nationwide among law schools with more than 100 first-time examinees. With an 80.19% passing rate, 85 out of its 106 candidates successfully hurdled one of the most demanding professional licensure exams in the country.
What makes the achievement especially noteworthy is its broader implication. DVOREF emerged as the only provincial law school to break into the national Top 5—standing shoulder to shoulder with long-established Manila-based institutions often referred to as the country’s legal powerhouses. The result places the Leyte-based school in rare company, alongside the likes of Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, and San Beda College of Law – Alabang.
At the helm of DVOREF College of Law is Leyte Representative Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, who has consistently pushed for the strengthening of educational institutions outside Metro Manila. A graduate of the UP College of Law himself, Romualdez has championed the idea that geography should never limit access to world-class legal training.
He described the milestone as proof that discipline, mentorship, and academic rigor can flourish in the regions. According to him, the success of DVOREF reflects the determination of Visayan students to compete—and excel—on the national stage.
The school’s leadership likewise credited its faculty, staff, students, and families for fostering a demanding yet supportive learning environment. More than an institutional win, the result is seen as a collective triumph for Leyte and the broader regional academic community.
As the Supreme Court’s “Performance of Law Schools” remains the gold standard for evaluating legal education in the country, DVOREF’s entry into the elite circle sends a clear message: excellence in Philippine legal education is no longer confined to the capital.
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