Keys to the Bar by Atty. Aimee Venteroso, CPA

08/10/2026

The 𝘌𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘤, during its session on October 7, 2026, approved amendments to the 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵 (A.M. No. 25-03-14-SC) to make it easier for Filipino spouses to prove a foreign divorce when seeking its recognition in Philippine courts.

Under the amendments, which will take effect 15 days after they are posted on the Supreme Court Website, Filipino spouses seeking recognition of a foreign divorce under Article 26(2) of the 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 will no longer need to prove the applicable foreign law when filing their petition. They will only need to prove that the foreign divorce took place.

The amendments introduce Section 48-A of Rule 39, which presumes that a foreign divorce between a Filipino and a foreign spouse allows the foreign spouse to remarry under foreign law, unless the divorce decree itself states that it is only a limited divorce.

The party opposing the petition now bears the burden of proving that the divorce is not absolute.

The new rule also presumes that an English translation of a foreign divorce document is accurate if the translator certifies its accuracy under oath.

These presumptions are disputable; they may be challenged with contrary evidence, under Section 3 of Rule 131.

The amendments, however, leave the existing legal framework unchanged. A petition for judicial recognition of a foreign divorce is still required, and the substantive requirements of Article 26(2) of the 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 remain the same.

Recognition of a foreign divorce may still be opposed on grounds such as lack of jurisdiction, lack of notice, fraud, or a clear mistake of law or fact.

The amendments were approved upon the recommendation of Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, and in consultation with Associate Justices Amy C. Lazaro-Javier and Jhosep Y. Lopez, and the Sub-Technical Working Group on the Concerns of Overseas Working Filipinos Regarding the Recognition of Foreign Divorce Decrees/Reports (Sub-TWG).

During consultations with the Sub-TWG, the Department of Foreign Affairs identified several challenges. Foreign family laws are often spread across different jurisdictions, making them difficult to obtain. Some countries have no designated official who can certify these laws, while foreign ministries generally do not provide official English translations.

Through these amendments, the Supreme Court aims to remove unnecessary barriers and make it easier for Filipinos to exercise their rights under the law.

Read the full text of the Press Briefer at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=174621.

The full text of the Supreme Court 𝘌𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘤 Resolution A.M. No. 25-03-14-SC shall be uploaded to the Supreme Court Website once available.

17/09/2026

2026 was a year of learning, refinement, and growth for Keys To The Bar, as a new bar tool.

Now that the 2027 Bar Syllabus is out, we are taking everything we learned from the 2026 Bar and putting it into an even more focused, strategic, and strengthened K2TB experience.

For 2027, we are doubling down on our strengths while continuously improving the way we help you prepare.

🔑WHAT TO EXPECT FROM K2TB 2027:

1. THE 2027 EDITION OF KEYS TO THE BAR
A completely syllabus-patterned edition designed around the 2027 Bar Syllabus, with:

• Complete Doctrine Mapping of cases penned by Justice Rosario along with our usual doctrine mapping of doctrinal and illustrative cases
• Reinforcement of the 5 KEYS (codal dissection, doctrine mapping, cluster recall, tabulation method and legal forms library) designed to prepare you for varying levels of bar exam difficulty
• Continued emphasis on mastery of the core topics because no matter how difficult the bar gets, the fundamentals remain your foundation.

2. THE NEW K2TB MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
We are also expanding K2TB beyond review materials.

Introducing our K2TB Mentorship Program for law students and bar reviewees—a supplement to your review materials that focuses on what cannot always be learned by simply reading.

This program will focus on TECHNIQUE:
🔑 How to study strategically, both in the review and classroom setting
🔑 How to identify what matters
🔑 How to approach difficult bar questions
🔑 How to sharpen issue-spotting and recall
🔑 How to build your study discipline

From SUBSTANCE to TECHNIQUE, we are building K2TB 2027 to help you prepare not only for the questions you expect, but also for the questions you don't.

STAY TUNED!

Send a message to learn more

09/09/2026

The second day of has ended. Read the questions in 𝘊𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘓𝘢𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 and in 𝘓𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 on the Supreme Court website.

𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 (Morning Exams):https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-BAR-Civil-Law-and-Land-Titles-and-Deeds.pdf

𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (Afternoon Exams):https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-BAR-Labor-Law-and-Social-Legislation.pdf

08/09/2026

Now that Day 2 and Day 3 of the Bar Exams are fast approaching, you do not need to read every material available and circulating. At this point, focus on sharpening your issue-spotting skills.

In my humble opinion and based on the apparent trend in the 2026 Bar questions (I tried to answer them one by one), examiners are not merely testing your ability to recognize a familiar doctrine. They are testing your mastery of the topics, attention to detail, and ability to synthesize what you know into a coherent and well-reasoned answer.

It is easy to spot a familiar fact pattern and immediately recall a doctrine that seems applicable. What is more challenging is being confronted with multiple issues in one Bar question, determining which issue is central, and addressing it appropriately.

That is why mastery of the syllabus within and across Bar subjects matters. The facts may be presented differently from what you have encountered in your reviewers, but the legal concepts are there. Your task is to recognize them, connect them, and apply them to the facts given.

Lawyer Aimee Venteroso advises Bar takers to practice issue-spotting skills and get enough rest to prepare for the remaining days of the exams.

06/09/2026

Day 1 has ended. Read the questions in Political and Public International Law and in Commercial and Taxation Laws on the Supreme Court website.

Political and Public International Law (Morning Exams):https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-BAR-Political-and-Public-International-Law-Law.pdf

Commercial and Taxation Laws (Afternoon Exams):https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-BAR-Commercial-and-Taxation-Laws.pdf

05/09/2026

𝐓𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐁𝐚𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐫. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 🤎

At this stage, may you find confidence in what you already know and peace of mind in knowing that you have prepared for this moment.

You don’t need to know everything. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞.

You are more ready than you think. You’ve got this!

See you on the other side, future attorneys! ⚖️✨

03/09/2026

28/08/2026

What if the 5 “keys” could unlock your CPA dreams, too? 🔑✨ Coming soon.

09/08/2026

BAR EXAM PASSING RATE IN RECENT YEARS

LOOK: As the 2026 Bar Examinations draw near, let’s take a look at the passing rates recorded in the Philippine Bar Examinations from 2020 to 2025.

The 2026 Bar Examinations, chaired by Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, are scheduled to be held on September 6, 9, and 13, 2026.

08/08/2026