Failures paved the way for her success – Atty. Saquilabon
“Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration, and inspiration.” A quote from Evan Esar that fits describe to the new bar examinee passer Atty. Jacqueline Mae Estorninos-Saquilabon as she affirmed that instead of quitting after series of failing in the bar exam, she let her failures as motivation and source of strength to achieve her dream that paved her way to success after passing one of the toughest exams in the country.
Atty. Saquilabon or Mimi as she is fondly called by her friends is the very first employee of the City Government of Koronadal who passed the bar exam after patiently taking it four (4) times where the most recent exam taken was just last year (2021). She is a mere employee which currently holds the position as Legal Assistant II in the Legal Office department.
Mimi finished her preparatory course at Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) with a degree of Bachelor of Arts major in Political Science (AB PolSci). She was employed in the city government since 2009 and later pursued her Bachelor of Legal Laws (LLB) at the College of Law in Mindanao State University (MSU) General Santos City through the influence of her classmate.
“At first, I didn’t plan to pursue LLB but due to the encouragement of my classmate, I tried”, Atty. Saquilabon recalled following pushing her fate on the entrance examination and panel interview which she successfully did it as another journey of her life started off.
As a student, she was consistently in the special class and top 10 in high school and steadily belonged to dean’s lists during her college days. Just like other students who have sometimes an easy-going habit, Atty. Saquilabon is not an exemption since she also had done the same during favorable times but to be a responsible and diligent was her priority. She wanted her parents’ hard work to be rewarded since educating their six siblings was not an easy responsibility.
Meanwhile, balancing being an employee, LLB student, wife and mother ruled into one which is also so taxing and exhausting but it didn’t hinder her to cope with all those up. She stressed the significance of time management, discipline and always know the priority to offset things. She believes that giving up is not an option and great things can be achieved only by those who don’t quit.
Further, Saquilabon said being a lawyer is a fulfilling, intellectually challenging, financially rewarding. However, one of the reasons that drove her to pursue her LLB study is not just a profession but more than anything, a medium to serve, help and inspire people.
She also emphasized that failing the bar exam three (3) times and got it the fourth time does not mean the latter is easier citing some modifications implemented by the Supreme Court (SC) before the exam such as health protocol and the first-ever digitalized bar exam that demands quite stressful adjustment. “No exam is that easy, maybe it’s my time to pass”, Saquilabon humbly clarified embracing the possibility of technical glitches and other interferences that cause her anxiety attack.
When the long-awaited bar exam result finally came, similar to other examinees, Atty. Mimi was preoccupied with mixed emotions until she received a call confirming her passing which made her wail on the ground while crying out loud. By then, her son was the only witness of her shedding tears of joy.
Atty. Saquilabon is about to take her oath this coming May 2, and seeing herself 10 years from now running her own law firm, active in litigation but still attending the City Government of Koronadal.