Baguio boy tops 2006 bar exams; 1,893 make it
By Vincent Cabreza
Inquirer
Last updated 09:29pm (Mla time) 04/03/2007
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines -- Teachers at the University of the Cordilleras here had a hard time placing a face to the name Noel Neil Malimban, this year's bar topnotcher.
In fact, at the management meeting held before the bar results were released, UC president Reynaldo Agranzamendez told his staff to prepare for the worst, said Saturnino Ebusca, UC vice president for finance.
But Ebusca realized that Malimban had actually placed 14th in the licensing examination for accountancy seven years ago.
All Agranzamendez could recall about Malimban was that he was "an accountant and a very unassuming fellow."
"The battle cry we coined today is 'Hindi ka na nag-iisa, Janet Abuel (You are no longer alone, Janet Abuel)," said Ebusca, referring to a previous topnotcher.
UC, formerly known as the Baguio Colleges Foundation, earned its place among the country's top law schools in 1998 when its student, Abuel, unexpectedly topped that year's bar examinations, besting perennial top placers from the country's elite law schools like the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University.
Abuel worked and became an official of the Department of Budget and Management and taught at the UC law school.
Abuel, like Malimban, is an accountant.
Agranzamendez said an accountancy background among many of UC's law students could explain how UC has been performing well in the bar.
He said UC was described as a "small school" in 1998, and was often belittled for Abuel's accomplishment, which was described as a stroke of luck.
Agranzamendez said Malimban had just proved their critics wrong. O0
Say, "Hello Tomorrow!" Conquer your fears! (TI) 
