At dawn on Bantayan Island, where survival depends on the mercy of the sea, Jeowy Loyloy Ompad learned early that dreams, like nets, must be pulled patiently and with all one’s strength.
For years, Ompad spent his mornings hauling fishing nets alongside fellow fishermen, never imagining that one day he would haul himself into the elite ranks of the Philippine Bar.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/University of San Jose- Recoletos (USJ-R) |
That unimaginable moment arrived on January 7, 2026, when Ompad placed sixth in the 2025 Philippine Bar Examinations, scoring 91.25 percent and earning a place among the country’s top legal minds.
At 38, he became the only Cebuano and the sole graduate of a Visayas-based law school to enter the Top 20, proving that excellence is not confined to the nation’s capital.
A certified public accountant (CPA) and graduate of the University of San Jose–Recoletos, Ompad was among 5,594 passers in the three-day Bar examinations held nationwide last September.
Speaking at a press conference, Ompad said he “really worked hard” for the dream, stressing, “If you have a dream, you have to work for it, study hard, and everything will pay off during the Bar.”
Born to a fisherman father and a dried-fish vendor mother, he recalled in an interview with Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) a childhood shaped by scarcity, saying, “Ang kita parang isang araw lang, enough lang para makabili ng bigas.”
By the age of six, Ompad was already helping at sea before school, heading to class without allowance and quietly accepting, “’Yun po ang reality ng buhay ko.”
Despite poverty, his father demanded discipline and education, insisting that fishing was “not an excuse” to skip school, while his mother taught generosity by sharing their small catch with neighbors.
Ompad’s academic excellence carried him to Cebu City on scholarship, where he worked as a store bagger before graduating with an Accountancy degree in 2008 and later working abroad.
Though marriage, children, job loss, and Typhoon Yolanda delayed his plans, he finally entered law school in 2020, studying at night while his family slept.
After losing his job during review season, he nearly quit, admitting, “Iniisip ko hindi na siguro ako mag-proceed sa law,” until his wife urged him to continue.
Drawing from his life at sea, Ompad said, “’Yung discipline ko as a fisherman, dinala ko siya sa bar review,” explaining that fishermen prepare long before storms arrive.
When the results came out, he said he and his wife embraced and cried, adding, “God has answered my prayer, hindi lang one of the passers but also one of the topnotchers.”
For those standing where he once stood, Ompad offered quiet faith and resolve, saying, “If you have the grit and determination, God will be with you in this journey.”
— The Summit Express