CEBU, Philippines — Three graduates from Cebu landed in the top 10 in the recent licensure examination for medical technologists.
One of them is Chris Jeram Lara, 21, from Velez College who ranked 7th with a score of 90.4 percent.
Lara is one of the more than 6,000 takers across the country who passed the examinations held in the different cities including Cebu this month.
According to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on its September 26 online post, at least 4,718 individuals passed out of the 6,070 examinees.
Two other Cebu graduates also made it to the top ten.
Joanna Canen from Cebu Doctor's University landed on the 8th spot after getting a score of 89.9 percent.
Another Velez College graduate, Justin Riley Lam, placed 9th registering 89.9 percent rating.
Lara was surprised of the results released on Wednesday night. He was a first time taker after he graduated from Velez in May 2017.
He was about to sleep when he heard his friends frantically knocking at his room's door excited to relay the good news.
"Everyone taking the board exam is aiming for the top. I actually didn’t expect because the exam was hard but I really studied and prayed hard that everything will turn out well," said Lara, a native of Dipolog City.
"The pressure to be part of the topnotchers as well as to get a 100 percent in our batch was challenging. During the exam, it was hard to ignore the anxiety, but good thing I was able to maintain my composure," he added.
Good thing, Lara's family got his back and gave him all the support he needed.
"My family is my main inspiration. They didn't pressure me at all. They just want me to pass," he said, dedicating his feat to his youngest brother, his full-time mother, and his father, who works hard as a seaman. — MBG (FREEMAN)