CNU grad tops LET, The FREEMAN editor among passers

CEBU, Philippines - Hard work paid off for a farmer’s son and consistent achiever who landed in the Top 10 in the March 2017 Licensure Examination for Teachers in the secondary level.

Ronald Gaballo, a Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics graduate from Cebu Normal University, clinched the 10th spot with the rating of 90.20 percent. He was the lone topnotcher from Cebu province.

Gaballo said that he did not expect to make it to the Top 10. He even did not believe the results at first but it only dawned on him when his classmates kept on shouting and congratulating him.

Gaballo shared he was afraid to fail since many were expecting he will pass with flying colors. He said he decided to take the exam last March instead of September last year so he could have more time to study. The 21-year-old native of Badian, Cebu was a consistent dean’s lister in college, a salutatorian in high school, and the first honorable mention of his batch in grade school.

Peer pressure was not his only challenge, he shared.  Gaballo had to struggle reviewing for the exam while working as a teacher at the Sisters of Mary School in Talisay City. He could not quit his job since he had to pay for the fees at the review center.

Gaballo admitted he did not see himself becoming a teacher in the future. He initially wanted to take up engineering since he loves mathematics but due to financial constraints, he had to give up such dream.

Gaballo is the fourth among seven siblings. His father works in a farm while his mother is a plain housewife.

Seeing how hard life is, Gaballo did not lose hope but instead took it as a challenge to strive more. To help pay for his tuition, he had to work as a student assistant in one of the offices at CNU but later on became an academic scholar which eventually helped him finish college.

“Tungod sa kapobrehon, naningkamot ko,” he said.

He remembered his mother once told him he had to take his studies seriously so he could avail of the scholarship grant, which motivated him to always aim high.

Like Gaballo, passing the exam also came as a surprise for Kristine Quintas, who managed to juggle her studies with her duties as a copy editor at The FREEMAN.

Quintas, 24, a native of General Luna town in the island of Siargao in Surigao del Norte, finished a degree in Mass Communications at the University of San Jose-Recoletos.

Having spent five years in the media, she decided to pursue a Diploma in Public Education at the Cebu Technological University to fulfill her parents’ dream of her becoming a teacher.

“Actually, Masscom was a personal decision. My mother, however, has been meaning to let me take up Education gyud. After several years of working as a journalist, I persevered to finish my DPE to show my gratitude to my parents who have supported me all this time,” she said.

Quintas worked full-time as a journalist during weekdays and took up DPE units over the weekend. Before taking the LET, she was appointed by her company to double as a copy editor, making her routine even more demanding.

While waiting for her news sources at the Capitol to arrive for interview, she would make use of her spare time reviewing her notes. After signing out from work at 10 p.m., she would then go over her review materials until dawn to ensure she covered everything.

“It’s surprising but maybe it’s also not because I believe that you will really end up achieving your dream if you invest enough time and effort for it. So my message to those who want to become educators is to continue pursuing their dreams with sheer hardwork, faith in God, and inspiration from people who truly matter in their lives,” she said.

 The Professional Regulation Commission said that out of 72,584, only 18,482 successfully passed the exam for secondary level.

Marian Kaye Gallego from the University of Mindanao, Davao City topped the exam for the secondary level with an average of 92.80 percent.

Meanwhile, 5,600 out of 53,915 examinees passed the exam for elementary level in which Samanth Christel Gaerlan, De La Salle University-Manila ranked the first place with 90.60 percent. — Jan Vhe M. Miñoza, Jolito C. Mosquida, and Dulcelyn T.  Insong (FREEMAN)