Hard work pays off for exam topnotchers

CEBU, Philippines - Nothing beats giving your best effort in reaching a goal.

Challenged by the expectations laid on him, Jayvee Faust Anga not only fulfilled his mother’s dream for him, he also brought honor to his family and his school.

With a 91.67 percent rating, the University of San Jose-Recoletos graduate grabbed the third spot in the Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination held early this month.

“My mother had a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy but did not take up the exam so she is one of the people who inspired me to be a CPA,” said Anga, a resident of Liloan town, Cebu.

He said he never aimed to make it to the top ten, as he already considered it satisfying to merely pass the examination.

But people expected him to excel based on the good results he got from the pre-board examinations.

“That also motivated me to push (myself) harder during the (licensure) examination,” said Anga, who graduated Summa Cum Laude.

He said he spent six months of sleepless nights of stressful review studies, but it all paid off.

“It was all worth it and this (achievement) is the fruit of our labor,” Anga said.

It was the same story for Trisha Claire Cabanlit, a known quiz bowler from the University of San Carlos, after she ranked fourth in the same examination with a rating of 91.33 percent.

She said and her batchmates never expected that they would reap such honors because they considered themselves as “less talented” than those ahead of them.

The result, she said, was both a pleasant surprise and an answered prayer.

“As what they always say, you’ll never be 100 percent prepared. You just have to trust God and yourself… All we (batchmates) ever wanted was to have a 100 percent passing rate but God gave us more by having six topnotchers (from USC),” she said.

Cebu graduates actually had the most number of topnotchers in the examination, with six of the 16 best-performing takers coming from USC and four from USJ-R. (On a similar note, USC students Holly Daneille Delica placed second with 84.10 percent while Keane Marc Tapangco placed sixth with 82.60 percent in the Chemical Engineer Licensure Examination also held this month.)

Aside from Cabanlit, five other USC graduates were also in the top 10, with Ervin Michael Cavalida grabbing fifth place with a 91.17 percent rating; followed by Clare Monica Pilapil (sixth, 90.83 percent rating); Joshua Echivarre and Marc Raphael Ong (ninth, 90.17 percent); and Sarah Balisacan (10th, 90 percent).

USC CPA review director Janzen Joseph Sevilla told The FREEMAN that they, too, did not expect six top placers will come from their school because USC only had at most three every year for the last five years.

He attributed their performance on how they prepare their students, which include providing comprehensive examinations as well as exposure to national or international competitions.

USJ-R has three other students joining Anga in the top 10. They were Magna Cum Laude graduates Elyzzah Kaye Torres (seventh, 90.67 percent); Shenen Mae Goc-ong (eighth, 90.33 percent); and Kenny Tabiliran (ninth).

“I’m happy. I’m proud. There is that big (feeling of) fulfillment. The efforts of our graduates and the efforts of our teachers have really paid off.  I wish also to acknowledge the support of the administration for that,” said Dr. Edgar De Toya, dean of the USJ-R College of Commerce.

Rev. Father Christopher Maspara, OAR, the university’s president, could not hide his joy upon learning the results.

“I’m very happy, very proud, and very elated because this is the first time the university has produced four top placers in one CPA board exam. But moreso, I'm so happy because this May 2016 board exam was dominated by Cebuanos,” he said.

With 10 Cebu graduates in the top 10, Maspara said this may imply that the quality of education offered by various universities in Cebu can match that of the other big universities from all over the country.

“I believe Cebu is very strong when it comes to Accountancy studies and this is a good sign. Cebu can be a good hub for education (for those aiming to become CPA graduates),” he said.

USJ-R ranked third among the top performing schools in this year’s examination with an 81.2-percent passing rate. De La Salle University-Manila was the best performing school in the examination followed by University of Santo Tomas. —/RHM (FREEMAN)