IT was a rough journey for Hannah Mae Abogada Antiola but despite all she faced, she managed to place sixth in the June 2022 Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) for Elementary Education.
A 23-year old graduate of the University of Mindanao in Davao City with a Bachelor of Elementary Education, Antiola landed in the sixth spot with a score of 90.20 percent.
But it was a long and rough road for her to be finally able to take the exam. She was scheduled to take the March 2020 exams but it was postponed due to the pandemic. It was moved to March 2021. However, that too was postponed.
She was finally able to take the exam in September 2021. However, three days before the examination, she tested positive for coronavirus. Thus, skipping that year’s exam.
This year, she was scheduled to take the exam again. However, she had another bump to hurdle preventing her from attending review classes.
“Tungod sa financial crisis, kay hapit na sad ko manganak, wala ko ka-apil. So, mao to self-study lang while on postpartum(Because I had to give birth and we had some financial problems, I was not able to join the classes. I had to self-study while on postpartum),” Antiola said in an interview with SunStar Davao on August 5, 2022.
She gave birth to her baby two months before June 2022 LET.
Antiola said that she did not expect to be part of the Top 10.
“Maong wa jud ko nagdahom nga ma-Top 6 kay lisod baya kaayu nga magstudy while first time mom ka mangapa pa jud but Glory to God (I did not expect to place sixth because it’s too hard to study while I’m a first time mom). I thought I would just pass but never did I expect that I would become one of the top notchers. I really dedicate my results to God and my family,” Antiola said.
A total of 12 graduates from Davao Region schools topped June 2022 LET for Secondary and Elementary education. Five topped the Secondary Level and seven in the Elementary Level. They bested 37, 346 total examinees in the Philippines.
Both Top 1 spots in the LET exams were clinched by graduates of the Compostela Valley State College-Montevista Branch. At the Elementary Level, Charline Tiquin Juntilla earned 93.40 percent to place first while Marvin Cabel Nillas garnered 94 percent to place first at the Secondary Level. According to the Falculan Twins’ Review Center, Juntilla and Nillas are a couple.
Other education graduates from Davao Region schools who topped June 2022 LET Elementary Level are Jennifer Candralo Lerasan of the University of Southeastern Philippines-Davao City (8th, 89.80 percent); Khriza Lumando Maxey from Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology (DOSCST), Cherie Leteral Mercado from Rizal Memorial College (RMC) and Ferdinand Angelo Alipis Revilla from Cor Jesu College (Holy Cross of Digos) garnered 89.60 percent to place 9th, while Meriambe Luma-ad Porio from DOSCST placed 10th spot with 89.40 percent.
About 8,667 elementary teachers have passed out of 17,149 examinees (50.54 percent) in June 2022 LET.
Meanwhile, at the Secondary Level, Redem Paul Manuat Yap from Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) placed fifth with a score of 91 percent, Jessa Fabiania Madreliño of Saint Peter's College of Toril placed seventh with 90.40 percent, Michael Sim Angelo Santos Lasay of University of Mindanao-Tagum placed eighth with 90.20 percent, and Cyril Jasper Atienza Suarez of HCDC placed ninth with 90 percent.
“Wala jud ko nag expect na mag top ko kay working man gud ko tapos naka leave lang ko 2 weeks prior sa exam. Nag study ug review lang gyud ko ug naa koy libre na oras. I-dedicate nako ni sa ako pamilya sila mama papa ug ako auntie ug sa tanang nag ampo na maka pasar ko. (I did not expect to top the exam because I am a working student. I only took a two-week leave before the exam to prepare. I can also only review when I have the free time. I dedicate this milestone to my parents, my aunt, and those who prayed for me to pass). Successful dreamers never quit their dreams when the going gets tough, they press on! Ug salamat pud kaayo sa Ginoo wala gyud impossible sa iyaha (I also thank God, nothing is impossible with him),” Suarez said in a separate interview with SunStar Davao.
The Secondary Level of the LET has produced 10,193 secondary teachers out of 20,191 examinees (50.48 percent).
The LET was conducted on June 2022 at several testing centers located in NCR, Baguio, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Koronadal, Legaspi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, Zamboanga, Bacolod, Cauayan, Dumaguete, Catanduanes, Catarman, Kidapawan, Jolo, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi. KSD