For this Gen Z, being a pregnant wife was never a hindrance in her journey towards passing the Bar exams.
“We really, really prayed hard to get us through the Bar, the pregnancy, and our marriage at the same time. We didn’t plan it. We just really asked from God to give us clearance to fix our timeline for us,” Erica Mae Diaz-Pangilinan told The Philippine STAR in an exclusive interview.
Erica admitted that at first, she had to think twice about continuing her Bar reviews.
“Actually, at first, I was thinking of deferring the Bar. But then, I thought about my parents and all their sacrifices to get me to where I am today. So, I realized that deferring was not an option. I had to do this for my parents and my future child. Kaya, nilaban ko lang talaga,” she noted.
Erica was a registered nurse before entering law school in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was online back then. The series [on] Netflix, ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ and ‘Suits’ actually, that inspired me to take up law,” she revealed.
While she was enrolled at the University of San Jose Recoletos School of Law, she met fellow law student, Jude, who later became her husband, in 2013 from a common friend.
“From the beginning, alam na niya na gusto ko talaga maging abogado and that we would not make our relationship a hindrance to pursue our dreams po. We had a good relationship during law school. We helped each other study through the exams. We studied in the library together and had study dates at cafes,” she shared.
“That’s how we parang spend time together, really study talaga,” Jude echoed.
Their relationship became official on June 8, 2023.
Erica added, “At first, hindi. Akala ko kasi na hindi kami magtatagal. Pero like during the span of our relationship, we had breaks but we got back together pa rin. So, parang destiny char.”
On her last year in law school, Erica received one of her greatest “blessings”— a baby.
Despite her condition, she proved that being pregnant was not a hindrance in finishing the degree. She even graduated in 2025 as one of the top students of their batch.
“At first, I cried because you know, fourth year, that’s the most crucial for law school. And then, I was scared about taking the Bar while pregnant and everything. But after I prayed and I asked God for guidance and to clear my mind and everything,” she said.
“I realized that it was truly a blessing to become pregnant because also last year around January, my doctor told me that it was hard for me to get pregnant because I had bilateral PCOS and hypothyroidism. It was really a blessing that I was pregnant,” she added.
But that was not just another milestone for Erica, Jude proposed to her and eventually got married during their Bar review days.
Erica said that her husband played a vital role on how they survived the Bar season.
“Thankfully, during the first trimester of my pregnancy, wala akong pagsusuka or nahihilo. Parang normal lang and then flat pa rin ‘yung tiyan ko. So, I started my review proper around June and then my husband would buy me my cravings, like mangga with bagoong,” she recalled.
“I made sure that I had 8 hours of sleep and I ate the right food. I think it really helped that we were both in law school and we’re both taking the Bar, so we know how to manage our time properly and since I’m pregnant, he knows how to adjust. He would adjust to my schedule,” she added.
Erica was six months pregnant when she took the exam in September 2025. After three months, she gave birth to their baby girl.
“Hindi ko talaga na-view ‘yun as a delay. Kasi it’s really a blessing to have a child. You know, not every woman has that blessing po. It’s very hard to take care of a newborn baby. Puyatan talaga. Kaya, sometimes nawawala na ‘yung Bar sa isip ko and then I did not experience any postpartum depression or blues, thank God, because I had my husband with me. We would take care of the baby together,” she said.
The husband and wife successfully passed the Bar exams.
“I know her, she’s a strong person and she’s very intelligent. Being pregnant is not really a hindrance to passing your dreams, to becoming who you want to be,” Jude said.
“So to those struggling with their dreams, to the expectant mothers, I want them to know that their timeline is still valid and they do not have to choose between their dreams and their families and that they can carry both with courage and faith and support especially from your family or your husband,” Erica added.
