Cebu grads top engineering exams

CEBU, Philippines - Two Cebu graduates made it to the Top 10 examinees of the October 2015 Electronics Engineer (ECE) and Electronics Technician (ECT) Licensure Examinations.

Niño Alpuerto of the University of San Carlos placed fourth with a score of 89.20 percent while Chester Kyles Colita of the University of Cebu-Banilad landed fifth with an 89.10 percent rating. Both are 21 years old.

Alpuerto said he was just “lucky” to top the exam and even graduate cum laude from one of Cebu’s top universities.

He said he wasn’t supposed to graduate last March because his mother, a call center agent, could no longer support him financially – what with two of his siblings also in college.

Fortunately, he received a scholarship from Analog Devices Inc., an American multinational semiconductor manufacturing company.

Alpuerto, a resident of Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City, believes his fate is all God’s will.

“Hulog ng langit gyod kay di pa unta ko ka-graduate ron,” he said.

While at school, he also worked at a call center to help provide for his siblings.

He said it was not easy to study and get an average grade of not less than 2.5 while working, but he just had to do his best.

Coming from a broken family is also a motivation, he said.

“This and my family and friends motivated me to exert my full efforts in surpassing my life’s endeavors, which led me to this victory,” he said.

Alpuerto will be working as an engineer at ADI for two years to pay back for the scholarship he received.

Colita, for his part, posted a word of gratitude on his Facebook account.

“To God be the Glory. He is just so AMAZING and WONDERFUL that He had given me what I desired the most (for my family and to my Alma Mater). I wasn’t really sure that I could make it to the top but He made it possible,” it reads.

“I made it to the top not because I am intelligent but because I’m blessed and I have a powerful God. Thank you Lord. I’m not worthy to receive this,” it reads further.

Both Alpuerto and Colita admitted the two-day examination was not a piece of cake.

Colita said he experienced difficulty in answering the General Engineering and Applied Sciences (GEAS) part, including trivial questions.

“Medyo lisod gyod baya,” he said on Facebook.

Alpuerto advised aspiring takers to show a sense of competitiveness and commitment while studying and reviewing.

“Do your best and always challenge yourself to perform well but don’t forget to have fun. Also, use peers’ pressure at your advantage and not the other way around.” he said.

Ranking

Emiliano Marcelo Tan of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) topped the ECE board exam with a 91.20 percent grade. Technological Institute of the Philippines - Manila (TIP-M) and De La Salle University -Manila (DLSU) graduates ranked second and third, respectively with 89.40 and 89.30 grades.

Meanwhile, Rannie Delos Santos Salvador from Bulacan State University (BulSu) got the top spot in the ECT licensure examination with a 93.00 rating.

For the ECT board exam, De La Salle University - Lipa topped the schools with a passing rate of 98.11, which means 52 out of 53 passed the test.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Sta. Mesa, Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), University of the East-Manila, and Cebu Institute of Technology University are among the top performing schools.

CIT-U ranked fifth with 90.74 passing rate or 49 passers out of 54 takers.

PRC on Thursday night announced that 1,784 out of 4,467 passed the ECE Licensure Examination and 2,984 out of 3,518 passed the ECT Licensure Examination.

The second Electronics Engineering board exam this year was administered on Saturday and Sunday, October 24-25 (ECE) and October 26, 2015 (ECT) in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Lucena.

During the two-day Electronics Engineer Licensure Examination, examinees answered the following subjects: Mathematics, Electronics Engineering, General Engineering and Applied Sciences (GEAS) and Electronics Systems and Technologies (EST). — Kristine B. Quintas/JMO (FREEMAN)