Velez College grad tops nursing exam

CEBU, Philippines - A 20-year-old graduate from Velez College topped the nursing licensure examination held last month, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said yesterday.

Eight other graduates from three Cebu schools were also included on the list of top passers.

Beverly Anne Balagon led 16,219 passers of the exam with a score of 87 percent.

An ordinary student, Balagon said she could not still believe landing at the top although she belonged to the dean’s list during her junior years.

“I was not expecting that I would really bag the top spot, not this much. I reviewed not to point na inaabuso ang katawan sa pagre-review. Though, like other examinees, I did wish to be in the top ten but I was not expecting that I would bag the top 1 spot,” Balagon said in a phone interview with The FREEMAN.

Balagon said that the day before the examinations, she attended a Mass at the Basilica del Sto. Niño and stayed there the whole day to pray.

After the examinations, she went to the miraculous Our Lady of Lindogon in Simala, Sibonga town for the thanksgiving.

“I feel really blessed with the great achievement that I got today. And I also thank those people who really prayed for me, especially my parents,” Balagon said.

She was sleeping when review center owner Carl Balita called her up to announce the good news.

Born in Mandaue City, Balagon studied high school at the Colegio dela Inmaculada Concepcion-Cebu and elementary at the Marie Ernestine School.

She said she prefers to practice her nursing profession in the Philippines rather than in any other country.

“Sa plan ko ngayon, I prefer to practice my profession here in the Philippines, because for me, it’s where home is,” Balagon said, adding that there are already teaching opportunities awaiting her.

Other topnotchers

Other Velez College topnotchers were Romelyn Icot (sixth with 85.60 percent), Nikki Nathasia Javier (seventh with 85.40 percent), and Shiela Heruela and Kyzia Ann Kintanar (tenth with 84.80 percent).

Three Cebu Normal University (CNU) graduates and one from Cebu Doctors’ University (CDU) also made it to the top 10.

Sherry Mae Manzanares Ampil of CNU and Rejenne Gulfan Sotes of CDU shared eighth place with 85.20 percent.

Guada Fe Marie Jore Mercado and Mariann Stephanie Brillantes Rosales, both from CNU, were at ninth spot with 85 percent.

“The College of Nursing of Velez College is very proud for Ms. Balagon who got the number one spot in the licensure examination and to our four other graduates who made it to the top ten. It is a manifestation of hard work in their studies and as well as the faculty for four years,” said a statement from the Velez College-College of Nursing.

“There is no particular secret or ingredient on how we produce top students, but we inculcate Christian values and shared culture of excellence among our students,” it said.

Balagon was not the first from Velez College who topped the nursing licensure examination. Julie David also topped the nursing exam in 1993.

Velez College said it is very proud that every year, it is able to produce top nursing examinees, adding that it would give cash incentives to all its topnotchers.

CNU and two other state-run universities - UP Manila and West Visayas State University-La Paz - ranked first on the list of 10 performing schools in this year’s exams.

All three had a passing rate of 100 percent, according to the PRC.

The complete list of the exam passers is released on the website of the agency.

The PRC conducted the examination in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, Laoag, Legazpi, Lucena, Nueva Ecija, Pagadian, Pampanga, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga in June 2013.

Pursuant to Section 16, of Republic Act No. 9173, “all successful candidates in the examination shall be required to take an oath of professional before the Board or any government official authorized to administer oaths prior to entering upon the nursing practice,” as stated in the PRC website. — (FREEMAN)