GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/ 02 December) — Seventeen education graduates of the Mindanao State University (MSU) campus here landed in the top 10 of the September 2019 Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET), the highest in school history.
The university produced 12 top examinees, including the first two places, in the elementary level and five in the secondary, with the highest at second place, based on the LET result released on Sunday by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Board for Professional Teachers.
Dr. Maria Theresa Pelones, dean of the College of Education of MSU-General Santos, said Monday the 17 topnotchers were the largest ever produced by the university in any board examination.
“This is the first in our history. Previously we only produced up to three topnotchers but now it’s totally different. It’s really amazing,” she said in a radio interview.
Joshua Canseco, a Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) graduate, was among the three first placers in the elementary level, with a rating of 92.60 percent. Fellow alumni Novalyn Barte, the lone second placer, got a rating of 91.60 percent.
The other top 10 placers from the university in the elementary level were Dimple Mangalon and Darlene Navarro at fifth; Roselle Mondejar at sixth; Jessa Balcos, Nadja Dingli, Karla Quimson and George Rojas at seventh; Shekinah Grace Cabunilas and Jullymae Delgado at eighth; and, Sitti Zhaira Sabinula at 10th.
In the secondary level, Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED) graduate Julean Quefannie Faith Federizo, was among the four second placers who got a rating of 92.60 percent.
Meantime, Marchee Karen Diaz placed fifth; Nasser Sabandal was sixth; and, Efren Andraque Jr. and Joey Maravillas were at 10th place.
A total of 94 of the 161 BEED graduates and 219 of the 270 under the BSED program of MSU General Santos passed the LET.
The PRC said some 28,973 elementary teachers out of 92,440 examinees (31.34 percent) and 54,179 secondary teachers out of 136,523 examinees (39.68 percent) successfully passed the exam given last September 29 in 29 testing centers in the country, Hong Kong and Thailand.
Pelones credited the feat to the support from the university administration, their faculty, partner review centers and the determination of their students to excel in the board examination.
She said they had been challenging their graduates to not only aim for a passing rating but become topnotchers as well.
“They took that challenge and we saw that they were really determined to achieve it. Eighty percent of this (achievement) was really from the effort of our students,” she said.
Pelones said the topnotchers will receive cash incentives from the university while the College of Education will give them a tribute “victory party.” (MindaNews)