At least 21 of the 5,594 successful 2025 Philippine Bar examinees are either residents of Catanduanes or have family ties to the island, the Tribune learned last week.
They are Blythe Colleen Lumawig Abundo; Ella Marie Cal Abundo of Viga; Ivy Diane Fegi Abundo; Gene Bernard Vergara Bermudo of Bato; Aaron Chrysler Gonzales Caadlawon of Bagamanoc; Kavin Avila Camacho of Virac; Imee Chavez-Dayawon of Gigmoto; Steffi Arantxa Rosero Gianan; Joy Clores Gianan-Aycocho; Lorgie Manguerra Mendoza of Panganiban; Rochelle Ann Tapales Molina of Virac; Jozem Nino Isorena Morales of Pandan; Krizza Sofia del Barrio Palencia; Giancarlo Pantino of San Andres; Jhenroniel Rhey Timola Sanchez; Joseph Paolo Sanchez Rima of Pandan; Rhona Vargas Sulla; Ariadne Mae Briza Tesorero of San Miguel;
Eugene Vargas Tusi of Virac; Hazelle Charisse Urgel of Panganiban; Vinice Nicole Somido Ursal of San Andres; and Shiela Joy Socito Vargas.
The late grandfather of the No. 1 ranked examinee, Jhenroniel Rhey Timola Sanchez of the University of the Philippines, hailed from Virac.
This was confirmed by the new lawyer’s mother, Aurora Salve “Aweng” Timola Sanchez, in reply to a query from the Tribune.
A family tree posted on her social media account indicated that Mario Noli Tubece Timola, who was born in 1947, married Teresita Reyes France in 1968.
The couple had three children – Marietess, Aurora Salve and Julius Oliver – but Mario Noli died while they were young.
It was Mario Noli’s first cousin, Noli Tubece Trijo, who married the widowed Teresita in 1977 and the union bore four more children.
Aurora Salve’s marriage to Romeo J. Sanchez Jr. produced four children – Jhenroveir Rhon, Jhenroniel Rhey, Jheriemi Rhaine and Jhermione Rhine.
Atty. Ella Marie Abundo, the daughter of Danilo Litong Abundo of Tinago, Viga and the former Marivic Cal Abundo Libon, Albay, is a product of Tinago Elementary School and Catanduanes State University Laboratory Schools.
She took up Bachelor of Arts in Legal Management at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila before entering law school at San Sebastian College-Recoletos.
She is currently working as Court Decongestion Officer in a Mandaluyong court.
Atty. Gene Bernard Vergara Bermudo, a law alumnus of Lyceum of the Philippines. is the son of Godofredo Bermudo and Bella Vergara of Libod Poblacion, Bato.
Atty. Aaron Chrysler Caadlawon is the 6th among nine children of Charles M. Caadlawon and Precita Gonzales, with the close-knit family based in Bagamanoc.
After finishing his elementary education at Bagamanoc Central Elementary School in 2009, he graduated as salutatorian from Bagamanoc Rural Development High School in 2013.
In 2018, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy diploma from CatSU, graduating cum laude, and passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Board Examination in October 2018.
In 2021, he enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas–Legazpi College of Law and subsequently qualified for a full scholarship from the provincial government of Catanduanes,
However, he voluntarily waived his slot to allow two other students to avail of the opportunity.
At the same time, he was a working student to support his own studies as well; as some of his siblings then in college.
Graduated as Top 5 of his batch, he received a full Bar Review scholarship from Chan Robles Review Center and took the bar exam in September 2025.
Atty. Kavin Avila Camacho, 29, is a son of FICELCO Area Office I Supervisor Danilo Camacho and the former Rosalie Avila of Sta. Elena, Virac.
A member of Virac Pilot Elementary School (VPES) Batch 2003 and Catanduanes National High School (CNHS) Batch 2013, he graduated with a diploma in Business Administration, major in Marketing, from CatSU in 2017.
After passing the Civil Service examination, Kavin began working as Administrative Aide IV at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Sta. Cruz, Laguna where his aunt was a prosecutor.
She encouraged him to take the law entrance exam and when he passed, he enrolled at the Arellano University’s executive class conducted during weekends.
His father eventually convinced him to resign and focus on his law classes, prompting the son to transfer to Bicol College after a year.
The new lawyer intends to finish his Contract of Service as Legal Assistant I at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) provincial office before entering a law firm.
Atty. Aimee Chavez-Dayawon, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Victor T. Chavez of Biong, Gigmoto and wife of Marjohn S. Dayawon, was an accounting graduate of CatSU and now holds the position of Accountant II.
Upon passing the accounting board, she was employed as accountant at Bicol University and finished law at Bicol College School of Law.
No other details were available about Atty. Joy Gianan-Aycocho, who works with the Office of the City Prosecutor in Naga City and whose mother Evelyn Gianan is a member of the CASURECO IV Board of Directors for Garchitorena district.
Atty. Lorgie Mendoza is the daughter of retired Postmaster Jairus Mendoza and retired MSWD Officer Carolina Manguerra-Mendoza of Sto. Santiago, Panganiban, and sister to FO1 civil engineer Carl Jay and real estate broker-appraiser Lazir Joe.
A valedictorian and consistent first honor student from elementary to high school, she graduated cum laude in BS Accountancy at CatSU and passed the CPA licensure examination.
She entered UP Diliman where she was a member of the Order of the Purple Feather, an official honor society of the UP College of Law for those with GWA of 2.0 or higher, and earned the Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence with a GWA of1.756.
She was a junior associate at LGTON Law Office in Makati City before transferring to Virac where she is an associate of Velasco Law Office.
A published poet and fictionist before entering law school as a scholar of the provincial government, Atty. Rochelle Ann Tapales Molina is the daughter of Roberto B. Molina and Nena T. Molina of Calatagan, Virac. A salutatorian during high school at the CatSU Laboratory Schools, she was also a cum laude graduate in BA Communication Arts at UP Los Baños.
Atty. Niño Jozem Morales, the son of former CatSU President Minerva Isorena-Morales and the late Joseth Morales, is a product of the university’s laboratory schools and took up AB Political Science at the former Aquinas University as his undergraduate course.
He earned his Juris Doctor at San Sebastian College- Recoletos in Manila and then worked as legal researcher and staff of Taway and Mortel Law Office.
He is currently a faculty member of Political Science and Social Science Department of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at CatSU.
Atty. Krizza Sofia Palencia of Bicutan, Taguig traces her roots to the Del Barrio clan in Catanduanes through her mother. She obtained her Juris Doctor after earning a diploma in BS Political Economy at Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
No details were available for Giancarlo Pantino, a son of Palawig, San Andres.
One of the two new lawyers from Pandan is Atty. Joseph Paolo Rima, the son of Mayor’s Office administrative aide Jose Rudas Rima and Secretary to the Sangguniang Bayan Nenebeth Eubra Sanchez-Rima.
A product of Pandan Central Elementary School, he entered the Immaculate Concepcion Seminary in Virac and reached 2nd year in Philosophy at the Mater Salutis Seminary in Daraga begore taking up Political Science at Aquinas University where he was elected president of the Supreme Student Council.
At the University of Nueva Caceres where he finished his Bachelor of Laws in 2018, he was chosen as governor of the Law Student Council and then represented Catanduanes in the Philippine Model Congress organized by the National Youth Commission.
After passing the CS Professional exam and the Basic Competency for Local Treasury Exam (BCLTE), he was hired by DM Consunji Inc. (DMCI) where he is assigned at the Metro Manila Subway Project handling compliance, labor relations, community relations, contracts management and land acquisition.
Atty. Ariadne Mae Briza Tesorero, 27, also a provincial government scholar, is the daughter of farmer Lucito T. Tesorero and teacher Crecensia B. Tesorero Jr. of San Miguel.
The second of four siblings, she was the salutatorian of San Miguel Central Elementary School and valedictorian of San Miguel Rural Development High School.
At the Catanduanes State University, where she graduated with a diploma in Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, she was editor in chief of the CatSU Statesman.
For two years from 2020-2022, she worked at the DTI Catanduanes provincial office as Negosyo Center business counselor.
After earning her Juris Doctor at the University of Nueva Caceres last year, she was legal assistant at the DAR provincial office until December.
Atty. Eugene V. Tusi is the son of retired Public Schools District Supervisor Antonio M. Tusi, Jr. and retired public school teacher Avelina Vargas-Tusi of Calatagan Tibang, Virac.
He started his basic education at Sioron, Gigmoto, and finished it at Gigmoto Central Elementary School and Gigmoto Rural Development High School. He was a student leader and once served as a Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President in their town.
An alumnus of Catanduanes State University, Eugene pursued his law degree at the University of Santo Tomas-Legaspi.
He was part of the legal team of the Department of Agrarian Reform and for some time, a paralegal in Metro Manila and Qatar-based law firms. Currently, he is employed at the Office of the Ombudsman.
Atty. Vinice Nicole Somido Ursal, the daughter of Vilma Somido of Divino Rostro, San Andres, is presently connected with the Office of the Ombudsman.
She is a graduate of San andres Central Elementary School, San Andres Vocational School and the Catanduanes State University.
As of presstime, the Tribune was unable to get details regarding Atty. Bythe Colleen Abundo and Atty. Ivy Diane Abundo, reportedly members of the Abundo clan; Atty. Giancarlo Pantino; Atty, Hazelle Charisse Urgel, the granddaughter of Antonio Urgel of Panganiban; Atty. Steffi Arantxa Gianan; Atty. Rochelle Ann Molina; and, Atty. Shiela Joy Vargas.