It is a great privilege for me to stand in front of you to share a very

momentous event in my life. Passing the BLEPT is a blessing. Topping the

BLEPT is a reward. I can’t express in words how happy and blessed I am that
among more than 81,000 BLEPT takers, I’m one of those who receive such
an excessive blessing and overwhelming reward as well.

I consider this achievement a life-changing moment. A daughter of a

fisherman and a housewife, I have this big dream of passing the licensure
examination to give my family the economic security we’ve been dreaming
for more than 20 years. Truly, God has prepared the best plan for me—
something that my mind was never able to conceive.

I know many of you are intrigued how I was able to attain this
success. And I am here to share my story. I finished my elementary and
secondary education with honors. Right after my highschool graduation, I
decided to pursue a degree in education at Romblon State University. I was
questioned. Why education? Why in RSU when I am an UPCAT passer by
that time? Wala akong mairason at maisagot maliban sa isang tipid na ngiti.
Madami namang nakakaalam na mahirap lang kami but not everybody will
understand how it feels to be one. Maraming worries, maraming doubts,
maraming what ifs, kaya pinili ko ang pinakasafe na desisyon—to find my
fortune here.

My college days were never easy but everything was going smoothly. I
was vying for honors by then so I worked hard to maintain my good
scholastic records. Pero may mga pangyayari pala talaga na taliwas sa ating
kagustuhan. I was really broken that time. I received a grade that shattered
my dreams into pieces. But that same grade gave birth to another dream—
to top the BLEPT. The dream I conceived in tears of grief is now the reality
that gives me tears of joy. Labis akong nagpapasalamat sa pangyayaring
iyon at maging sa taong ginamit ng Diyos para ipakita sakin that I could do
better. I can be better. If there is one thing I learned from that experience,
it’s the importance of forgiveness. The moment I was able to forgive myself
and that person, nagkaroon ako ng bagong motivation. I want to top the LET
not to prove my worth but to have financial security.

To be honest, I did not aim to pass the BLEPT. To be the next

topnotcher was really my target, regardless of the rank. I always remind
myself to “Aim high and hit the mark and that’s the same thing I want to
remind the next BLEPT takers. Sadyang walang tagumpay na hindi
pinaghihirapan. I committed myself to a goal which sounds ambitious so I
conditioned myself that it will demand sacrifice. Right after graduation,
desidido na talaga akong simulan ang pagrereview. As a matter of fact, nag
goal-setting muna ako. Gumawa ako ng timeline per area para siguradong
macover ko lahat ng subjects. Nakasulat talaga sa notebook ko ang--Goal:
Top the BLEPT 2015. That was to remind me every day that I have a goal to
fulfill so theres no way for procrastinating. Siguro, isa ako sa pinakamadalas
mangulit kay Maam Faye kung kailan ang official start of review. July pa
mag oopen ang Carl Balita Review Center in partnership with RSU College of
Education pero nagboard na agad ako sa Odiongan by the month of June
para makapagconcentrate. Wala akong tinanggap kahit isang job offer dahil
desidido akong magfull-time review. The first few months, nagbabasa lang
ako pag nasa mood. Pero once inantok ako, natutulog ako up to the point na
mas mahaba pa ang tulog ko kesa sa review. Nang magsimula ang first day
of formal review namin, sumabak agad kmi sa diagnostic test. Hindi ako
mapakali pag-uwi ko kasi pakiramdam ko madami pa akong dapat pag-
aralan. Tuwing uuwi kami mula sa review, libro agad ang una kong
hinahawakan at yun din ang huling bagay na hawak ko bago matulog.

Walang araw na hindi ako nagbasa ng libro. Kahit humawak ako ng

cellphone, nagrereview pa rin ako ng mga files na nadownload ko sa ibat
ibang sites. Kung magfacebook man ako, sumasali ako sa groups na may
online review. Month of August, medyo pressured na ako. That was the start
of my intensive review. I see to it that at seven in the morning, gising na
ako at nagbabasa na. I don’t have specific mealtime. Kapag ginutom ako, sa
higaan na rin ako kumakain pero never kong binibitawan ang reviewers ko.
Iniwasan ko na rin ang umidlip kahit inaantok na talaga ako dahil sayang pa
ung mababasa ko. At 5-8 pm nasa review center kami. Pag-uwi, I don’t call
it a night yet. Reviewer na naman ang aatupagin ko hanggang madaling-
araw. My usual sleeping time is 2 am pero inaabot ako ng 4 am pag kinaya
pa. So basically, kulang ako sa tulog kaya madalas akong zombie mode. If
there’s one ability that I really admire about my brain, yun ay ang kaya niya
pa ring tumanggap ng new informations kahit sobrang saturated na and
despite unfavorable conditions. I consider it a skill because it was only
developed during the time the review demands for it. Time flies so fast.
Namalayan ko na lang two weeks na lang before my big quiz. I assessed
myself and by that time, I know I could pass the BLEPT but I cannot make it
to the top dahil madami pa akong hindi alam. I doubled my efforts. Halos
hindi na ako makausap ng aking magandang roommate sa sobrang
concentrate. Hindi na ako nag entertain ng mga text messages kung hindi
naman tungkol sa BLEPT ang topic. Then two weeks becomes one week. My
original plan is to rest for the whole week in preparation for my big day. Pero
hindi ko na naman nagawa dahil here comes the preboard. Madami na
naman akong naencounter na questions that Ive never met in my undergrad
years at kahit sa mga reviewers ko. Nataranta na naman ako. I was
discouraged. I was disappointed. I even cried after the preboard dahil
pakiramdam ko, sayang ang efforts ko. I never stopped. May pinahabol pang
booklet ang aming review center. It took me one day to know by heart the
1000 salient points in professional education. 3 days before the
examination, umuwi ako ng Looc para magpapray sa church namin pero
nag-aral pa rin ako hanggang Sabado. In short, I never had a rest day.
Saturday night, madami akong nareceive na messages of encouragement.
Naaalala ko pa ang pakiusap ni Sir Carl Balita sa kanyang reviewees na
please lang, huwag na kami mag-aral that night at matulog na. Pero may
nakita akong reviewer na never ko pa nabasa. When I scanned the pages,
madaming new knowledge para sa akin. So, I ended up reading the whole
book until ten 0’ clock. I was so grateful that God gave me a good sleepthat
night.wala akong naramdamang worry. Wala ring kaba.. I had my alarm at
five in the morning pero gumising ako by 4 kasi tinapos ko pa ang libro. By
that time, confident na ako. Pakiramdam ko, kaya ko na patumblingin ang
mga questions. I was able to read a total of ten books from cover to cover,
excluding the handouts and files I’ve downloaded from different sites.

During the exam, I was very relaxed. Medyo late na kami

nakapagsimula ng Gen. Ed pero binakbakan ko agad ang mga questions.
Madali ang mga items para sakin pero nabigla talaga ako sa dami ng math
and science questions. Masaya kong natapos ang gen.ed dahil talagang
pinagpray ko na sana madaming science items na lumabas. Saglit lang ang
lunchtime namin then comes the prof.ed. Oh em gee! Questions pa lang sa
first page, pigang piga na ang utak ko. I don’t know if I have the same
opinion with others pero nahirapan po talaga ako sa prof. ed. Sinabayan pa
ng mga items na never ko talaga naencounter. Kahit anong gawin kong pilit
na maretrieve mula sa utak ko ang mga information, wala talaga akong
mapiga so I resorted to trusting my instincts. Nang matapos ko ang prof.ed,
parang gusto kong manawagan kung “Asan ang hustisya?”. Minemorize ko
po lahat ng philosophies. Isang ism lang natatandaan kong lumabas.
Minemorize ko lahat ng legal bases of education. Sa dinami dami ng batas
na nasa utak ko, salamat sa isang item na lumabas. Totoo nga talaga siguro
ang sinasabi nilang “expect the unexpected”.

Nang sa major na kami nakasalang, I can’t help but smile. Habang

nagsasagot ako, pakiramdam ko, yun na ata ang pinakamasayang exam na
naranasan ko. At dahil napakaspecific ng prayers ko, lahat ng subjects na
malakas ang foundatiosn ko, yun talaga ang lumabas na items. Kung
idedescribe ko siguro yung smile ko ng makatapos ako ng exam,
nagtatagisan sa paglabas ang mga gilagid at ngipin ko sa wagas ko makafull
smile.

Sa wakas, nairaos ko na rin ang BLEPT. Di ko maintindihan ang sarili

ko bakit wala man lang akong nararamdamang pagod o sakit ng ulo
pagkatapos. Di ko maipaliwanag kung bakit sobrang saya ko noon. Lahat
talaga ng prayers ko that time were answered. Pakiramdam ko, ginawa ang
examination namin specially for me. And I feel so blessed realizing that
God’s favor is really upon me.

I have these rituals that I want to share to future BLEPT takers. While
the proctor is distributing the questionnaires, I prayed. I prayed really hard.
Then, after answering, I wrote on the last page of my test booklet the
statement: Thank You Lord. Before returning my test booklet and answer
sheet, I lay my hands on my paper then uttered another prayer. It worked
for me, and I assure you it will also work on you because God never fails. In
addition, I counted the number of items na hindi ako sigurado sa sagot.
That’s the reason kung bakit naman di ako makatulog nang matapos ang
board exam. Hinanap ko agad ang mga sagot at sa bawat item na
nacoconfirm kong mali nga talaga ako, nababawasan ang confidence ko na
magtop. Somehow, makakatulong din ang pagbibilang ng unsure answers
para makapagset agad kayo ng expectations at mapredict niyo na rin ang
magiging result ng inyong examination.

I was back to normal life for two months. But then again, the
excitement for the BLEPT result started to grow. Tatlong gabi na kaming
walang tulog kakahintay ng result. Then came the point na nagsawa na rin
akong pagpuyatan ang paghihintay.

The judgment day finally came. Nakakabless lang talaga isipin na the
moment the BLEPT result was released, I was onstage performing a song
number with a title: Best time of my life. Truly, that was really the best time
of my life. Pagbaba ko pa lang ng stage, hinanap ko agad ang phone ko.
Then may nagtex sakin na second daw ako. Medyo di ko pa siya gets by that
time pero kinutuban na ako na tungkol sa LET un. Then, there was an
incoming call. It was Sir Carl Balita. Nung maconfirm ko yung balita,
pakiramdam ko, magbibreakdown ako. Nagsigawan lang kami ni Sir Carl
over the phone habang nagwawalling ako sa likod ng covered court. Parang
nangibabaw sakin ang gulat kaysa sa saya. Aminado ako, I prayed and
worked hard to be on the list of topnotchers, pero ung mag top two, that
was beyond my imagination. I even asked God, what have I done for Him to
bless me more than I deserve. I was overwhelmed by the messages and
calls from people who are happy for me because I am not really used to
getting too much attention. That night, di ako nakatulog magdamag. Ilang
beses ko tinanong ang sarili ko, ako ba talaga yun? Paano nangyari yun? A
lot of unanswered questions flooded my mind that remained unanswered till
now. But there’s one thing Im sure of: this is the moment that will change
my life.

I could still remember an African proverb from my prof.ed subjects. It

takes a village to educate a child. I say: It takes a village to create a
topnotcher. At this point, allow me to extend my gratitude to everyone who
contributed to my success. First and foremost, to God for making a mighty
miracle in my life. To my parents, Tatay Miguel and Mama Susan, for the
unlimited support and understanding of all my plans in life. To my brothers,
Aeneas and Sandream for the moral support and encouragement.

To Ate Nieves Fiel Alvarez who sponsored my highschool education and

Ate Deborah Esquejo Garcia who financed my tertiary education and review,
I will never experience this joy if you did not help me achieve my dreams in
the first place. I also extend the same gratitude to Kua Rodom, Kua
Kristoffer, Kua Ercleo, and Kua Francis for treating me like their own sibling.

To my Alma Maters, Looc Central Elementary School, Looc National

High School and Romblon State University. I would like to commend Madam
Josephine Bancoro, Mr. Noel Joseph Marin Machon and the late Madam
Liberty Galindez, my former principals for giving me competitive academic
trainings and quality education which contributed greatly to my holistic
development. I also give the same commendation to Mr. Rufino Fos and Mr.
Melchor Famorcan and all my coaches who trained me to be a winner during
my highschool days. You had planted within me the fighting spirit of a
topnotcher.

To Dr. Arnulfo F. De Luna, RSU president and Dr. Emelyn Rico

Villanueva, our college dean, thank you for ensuring that we, students
receive the education that we deserve.

To all my teachers in elementary and secondary education, thank you

for the knowledge but most importantly, for the love and trust you’ve shown
me when I was your student.

To my college teachers, I owe you a lot. Thank you for helping me

towards the realization of my dreams. Di ko man po kayo maisa-isa, I just
want to tell you na walang Iah na topnotcher kung hindi ko po kayo naging
teacher. Salamat po sa lahat ng nampressure at nagtiwala sa akin. I just
can’t imagine your sad faces maams and sirs if ever I’ve failed you so I
pushed myself to study harder to give you the compensation that you
deserve for mentoring students with a big dream like me. To my general
education teachers, Maam Meren, Sir Perez, Maam Reginan, Sir Formilleza,
Sir Maduro, Maam Madeja, Sir Perlas, you are a part of my success.

To my prof.ed teachers, Maam Arenio, Maam Sy, Maam Gamol, Sir

Blancia, Sir Fronda, Sir Dalisy, Sir Lazaro, Sir Largueza, utang ko po sa inyo
ang 40% ng aking rating.

To my biosci mentors, My second father, Sir Ed, Maam Fallesgon,

Maam Fordan, Maam Fermanejo, Maam Relano, Sir Venjune, Sir Fordan,
Maam Arsenio, thank you for building within me a strong foundation in
biological science.

To Carl Balita Review Center, thank you for making the dream and the
dreamer become one.

To my blockmates and biosci majors, thanks for believing in me.

Kaway kaway sa mga naghintay na maglupasay ako sa saya.haha

To my churchmates from Joshua Generation, relatives from Bantang

and Seraspi family, and to my friends, thank you for the prayers. Truly,
when we work, we work. But when we pray, God works.

To my bestfriends, study buddies, and boardmates, Arlen, Jenalyn,

Ruth, Bon, Dave, Pearl, Kua Marwin, Jennievan, Karl, Randy, Joana, Sheila,
Jay-ar, Jeschel, Ginea, and Ashley, thank you for giving me a happy
environment during my quarantine period.

In behalf of the science majors, I would like to thank the College of

Education for providing LCD projector exclusive for the use of biosci kasi
mahirap talaga pag walang pictures ang biology. The biosci majors were also
the pioneer of the online classroom.
This set-up helped me to be technologically-inclined. In addition, I learned to
be resourceful since learning should not be confined to the four corners of
the classroom. As a science major, I cannot contain my happiness because I
will serve as a challenge to the next batch. We are targeting to produce
another topnotcher. I believe that quality and adequate instructional
materials are also essential in achieving excellence. Among us specializing in
science, I wish that the e-books we are using will have their hardcopy
versions so that those who do not have smartphones can also maximize the
opportunity of learning from these state of the art materials.

Before I end this speech, I would like to inspire the next BLEPT takers
with my story. I came from a poor family. I’m not telling you this to
humiliate my family nor to get your sympathy. I just want you to realize how
blessed you are if you were able to live a life better than me. Since I started
schooling, feeling ko mayaman na kami pag nakapag-ulam kami ng noodles
sa breakfast. Most of the time, chichiria, kape, asin, asukal at kahit ano lang
basta’t may lasa ang ulam ko. Imagine the nutrition I get from those foods.
Yet, I am an achiever in school. Di naman nila makikita laman ng tiyan ko eh
but they could definitely see the capacity of my brain. Siguro, di rin kayo
maniniwala kung sasabihin kong I was already 21 years old when we had
electricity in our house. Literally speaking, I was really burning the midnight
candle, lamp I should say for how many years to study my lessons. Kaya
napakapalad niyo kung pinanganak kayo na may liwanag na ang buhay.
Make the most out of it to improve your education. And never think na dahil
sa Romblon State University kayo nag-aral, wala tayong laban sa mga
prestigious schools. If you have doubts on the quality of education you are
receiving, fix your mind on our University vision: Romblon State University
as a premier institution of higher education in the Mimaropa region for a
globally competitive province of Romblon.

And to those who dreams to be the next topnotcher, commit yourself

and be ready to sacrifice. Have a strong motivation, be it intrinsic or
extrinsic. Try to bargain with God. He blesses us fairly without expecting
something in return but He knows the intentions of our mind and the desires
of our hearts. Lastly, never doubt the power of prayers. God answers, big
time!

Congratulations to my fellow BLEPT passers. We are now officially

teachers.

It’s a great pleasure for me to bring honor to our university and

province. Onwards Alma Mater dear. Onwards Romblon. Thank you and to
God be the glory.