Rice cake vendor’s son ranks 4th in teachers board exams

JEKYLL Bumarlong Almaden, 23, a graduate of the Cebu Normal University (CNU), admitted that he and his family had a tough time when the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020.

Almaden, the ninth of 10 children, told SunStar Cebu that his mother had to quit selling “puto” or rice cakes because of the lockdown while he had to look for a job just to help make ends meet for his family.

Despite the challenges, Almaden continued to pursue his studies.

Eventually, Almaden’s hard work and dedication paid off after he ranked fourth place in the elementary level of the January 2022 Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET), with a rating of 92 percent.

Almaden, who hails from Barangay Casili, Consolacion town in northern Cebu, said he never expected to be one of the topnotchers.

“All I wanted was at least I could get a 75 percent rating. Then, my friends messaged me that I was one of the top ten LET passers. I thought the PRC had mistakenly written my name there,” Almaden told SunStar Cebu.

Almaden credited his parents for motivating him to strive toward success and for working hard to ensure that he and his siblings could finish their education.

Almaden’s mother is a former rice cake vendor while his father is a security guard.

“If you’re tired of studying, the ones sending you to school are also tired. That alone for me is a motivation,” Almaden said.

Almaden recalled that when he had to prepare for the LET, he not only had to study but also work at the same time as a financial adviser.

Prior to getting a job, Almaden had reviewed for two months in a private review center to prepare for the LET.

After two months, Almaden had to focus on reviewing on his own until the day of the exams.

Now that he has passed the LET, Almaden said he plans to become a lecturer for aspiring teachers.

He also wants to pursue a master’s degree in Business Administration.

As an advice to aspiring teachers, Almaden urged them to make time for studying while they are young and balance time between studying and playing. (HIC)