Vizcaya Board sets P200-K for top CSE passer

By Leander C. Domingo

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya -- The Sangguniang Panlalawigan here has approved an ordinance granting a cash incentive of P200,000 along with a plaque of recognition to a Novo Vizcayano who tops the Civil Service Eligibility examination, making the province the first to reward CSE top notchers.
    Board Member Patricio Dumlao Jr. said the enactment of the Nueva Vizcaya Civil Service Examination Topnotcher Ordinance aims to establish a mechanism to incentivize and recognize the outstanding achievement of topnotchers in the CSE examinations.
    "This financial reward serves as a tangible expression of appreciation for the individual's exceptional performance and commitment to excellence," said Dumlao who authored the said ordinance.
    Expressing enthusiasm for the ordinance, Elpidio Bunagan Jr., CSC Nueva Vizcaya Field Office director, said the ordinance will encourage the people of Nueva Vizcaya and inspire them to excel further in their pursuit of the CSE examination.
    Citing the significance of the CSE examination as a fundamental requirement for entering government service positions that do not necessitate any board examination, Bunagan said the approval of the ordinance by Gov. Jose Gambito positions Nueva Vizcaya as the first province in the country to establish such recognition and incentives for outstanding performance in the Civil Service Commission's (CSC) eligibility examinations.
    Also the chairman of the SP Committee on Rules, Privileges and Awards, Dumlao expressed his satisfaction with the approval.

"I believe that this initiative will not only benefit the recipients but also contribute to the overall growth and development of the province," he said, adding that the SP's approval of the ordinance sets an inspiring example for other provinces in the country.

"It sends a clear message that recognizing and incentivizing exceptional performance in civil service examinations is a crucial step towards fostering a highly qualified and competent government workforce," Dumlao said.

He noted that as Nueva Vizcaya paves the way for recognizing and rewarding CSE examination top notchers, it reinforces its commitment to excellence and demonstrates its dedication to promoting meritocracy and professionalism in public service.

 

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Baguio COuncil cites 2 cops for passing Bar exam

BAGUIO CITY – The City Council recently commended Police Maj. Leonard Agwiking Banasen of the University of Baguio (UB) and Police Cpl. John Bryan Latawan Cong-o of the Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) for passing the 2022 bar examinations.
    Under resolution 259, series of 2023, the legislative body stated there was need to commend these bar passers as they brought honor and prestige to their respective schools, families, colleagues and to the city.
    Earlier, the results of the 2022 bar examinations conducted on 9, 13, 16 and 20 November 2022 were released on April 14, 2023 by the Supreme Court (SC) where 3,992 or 43.47 percent of the 9,183 examinees successfully passed the said examination.
    Banasen and Cong-o were among those students from the city who patiently pursued legal studies and successfully achieved their desire to become lawyers.
    Banasen is a resident of San Vicente barangay and currently the acting chief of the city administrative and resource management unit of the Baguio City Police Office while Cong-o is a resident of Camp 7 and assigned at the regional mobile force battalion 15, Camp Dangwa, La Trinidad, Benguet as police investigator.

 

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Single Ilocos mom passes Bar exam

By John Michael Mugas 

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — On the day of the release of the Bar examination results on April 14, Loi Kristel Mendoza Tubera of Vintar town in this province was all alone inside a church.
    And when the results were finally out, her phone started to buzz with notifications, but she ignored them.
    She thought she did not make it again on her third try.
    “I got used to not seeing my name, so the acceptance this time if I do not make it will be faster. I thought the notifications were from people reaching out to offer comfort,” Tubera told this writer in an interview on Monday, April 17.
    But she said that it was the people who reached out and offered help that made all the difference on her third attempt to become a licensed lawyer.
    Overcoming her pride, she opened her doors just as she had done when she thought everyone had turned their backs on her when she did not pass the exams in 2018 and 2019.
    The 30-year-old newly minted lawyer realized that she was “not alone in this journey. Dati kasi, sinolo ko (It was because I kept it to myself) but for this Bar examination, there were people who wanted to help, so I opened up and accepted them.”
    On April 14, Tubera was one of the 3,992 passers of the 9,183 examinees for the November 2022 Bar exams.
‘Acceptance’
    Passing the Bar exam was a grueling journey for Tubera, who studied law school while raising a son as a single mother and taking care of her own mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer.
    “I had to give up my job in 2017 while in law school so I could take care of my mother and my son,” Tubera said. And just when she graduated and started to review for the 2018 Bar examinations, her father also faced a major health crisis that necessitated an admission to a hospital’s intensive-care unit.
    After two attempts, she accepted her reality, and the only way for her to survive the review stage for the third time was to “let [things] be.”
    “I no longer resisted, hindi ko na linabanan (I did not resist) by wishing for things to be different than my situation then. I surrendered everything to the Lord and accepted, prayers work talaga (really),” she said.
Aside from this, Tubera said that she strategized ways to make the most of her situation.
    And if she would not make it again on her third attempt, she said she was ready to accept whatever the outcome would be because she also needed to think about the future of her son.
    “I was ready to turn my back on my dream of becoming a lawyer and seek another career aside from being in the legal field,” she said.
    But she will not deny that not passing the 2018 and 2019 exams were a “traumatic” experience for her.
    “I reached a point where I questioned everything; why was I experiencing this; why was my family going through all these problems while I was studying for the Bar. Why have I not made it despite exerting efforts,” she said.
    Tubera revealed that she decided not to pursue taking the 2020-2021 Bar Examinations anymore because she was already “ashamed” to ask for help from her family. She remained thankful that her siblings continued to support her and believed that she would become a lawyer.
    And through all this, it was her 8-year-old son, who has been with her since law school days and who kept her going as she shared how he pushed and motivated her to continue studying when she felt like giving up.
“We all will have our moments talaga, hindi man tayo sabay-sabay (really, we may not be together),” Tubera advises those who did not make it on the list this time.
Different battles
Looking back, a tearful Tubera said she had to go through failures and challenges to mold her into the kind of person and lawyer that she would become.
    “If I became a lawyer then, my strength and wisdom would not be the same as the ones that I have today,” added Tubera.
    For those who did not make it, Tubera advised keeping the faith.
    “We are built to experience different kinds of battles or difficulties, but through all of these, He knows that we will surpass.”
    The stigma persists for retakers of the Bar examinations, but she said that those who are aspiring to become lawyers should “carry on and stop only when you believe that you have exerted everything.”
    “Other people will always have their opinions, but if they have not personally experienced what it was like to take the Bar examinations, let alone do it twice, or numerous times, they will never understand. Just don’t lose hope,” she said.
 

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4 Cordi cops pass Bar exams with 43 PNP nat’l personnel

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Four police officers of Cordillera passed the recent Bar examinations.
    The four new lawyers are Maj. Leonardo Danasen, S/Sgt. Jefferson Cadap, Cpls. Tetchie Assudo and John Bryan Cong-o.
    Forty-three officers and civilian employees of the Philippine National Police  hurdled the 2022 Bar exams to become new lawyers.
    The 22 other Bar passers are from different national support units and regional offices.
    PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. Thursday congratulated 11 police commissioned officers, 29 non-commissioned officers and three non-uniformed personnel for being among the 3,992 newly minted lawyers of the country.
    “I hope that our new lawyers will continue to serve in the police force. The PNP needs their services to add more teeth to our legal offensive in the campaign against criminality, illegal drugs, and corruption,” he said in a statement.
    Data from the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management showed the National Capital recorded the highest number of passers with eight, namely Lt. Col. Erving Chan; M/Sgt. Jose Mari Whiteside; Sr. S/Sgts. Rey Vincent Mamauag, Jerusalem Dulnuan, Marie Rannele Dulnuan and Desiree Pasong, and Cpl. Dizzy Buyuccan.
    The Zamboanga Peninsula police is second with five passers: Maj. Alvin Lepiten, M/Sgt. Marifel Sabandal, S/Sgt. Roderick Isong and civilian employees Mariefer Miguel and Loi Dominic Alarcon.
    Four are from the Northern Mindanao police led by its former spokesperson, Lt. Col. Michelle Olaivar; S/Sgts. Naif Malawani and Elmond Monteron, and non-uniformed personnel Rose Anna Abuhan.
    The Supreme Court said a total of 3,992 out of the 9,183 examinees, or 43.47 percent passed the exams.
 

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Ilocos Norte scholar tops physician licensure exam

LAOAG CITY -- Aira Cassanda S. Castro, a scholar of the provincial government of Ilocos Norte's Doctor of Medicine Scholarship Program, topped the recent March 2023 Physician Licensure Examination with a grade of 89 percent.
    Dr. Castro made history by becoming the first medicine graduate from the Mariano Marcos State University College of Medicine (MMSU-COM) rank first in the board examination.
    She was consistent academic achiever from primary level until medical school.
    She was valedictorian of her high school and grade school.
In 2017, she graduated summa cum laude from the MMSU College of Arts and Sciences' BS Biology program.
    She promptly enrolled in Doctor of Medicine program at MMSU, where she graduated cum laude and valedictorian in 2021.
    “I want to teach at the MMSU College of Medicine (COM) to train the younger generation of Ilocano doctors,” expressed Dr. Aira Cassandra S. Castro in a press briefing conducted after the release of results.
    According to Dr. Castro, her intention to teach at MMSU-COM is also a way for her to repay MMSU and the PGIN for giving her with a scholarship during her time in medical school. She aspires to eventually work at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMHMC).
    She remarked that the shortage of doctors in Ilocos Norte was her key motivation for pursuing her career. “I always want to serve Ilocos Norte. So, MMMHMC po ang choice ko,” said Dr. Castro.

Along with Dr. Castro, Dr. Christian Alvin Arca, Dr. Marianne Shem Caraang, Dr. Neil Justine dela Cruz, and Dr. Mida Dorothy Manayon also passed the PLE and achieved a 100% passing rate, giving the university its seventh straight perfect record in the board exam for medical doctors since it began fielding examinees in 2020.

The Doctor of Medicine Scholarship was an initiative of Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc which aims to provide Ilokano doctors who will ensure the delivery of healthcare service in the province, particularly in far-flung areas.

Aside from medicine, the provincial government  also offers scholarships for law school, academic, technical-vocational, agri-fishery (tertiary and secondary), arts, sirib youth leaders, and senior high school.

 

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12,800 pass fire, penology officers, treasurer exams

A total of 10,115 examinees passed the Fire Officer Examination (FOE), and 1,574 others made it to the Penology Officer Examination (POE), while 1,081 hurdled the Basic Competency on Local Treasury Examination (BCLTE), the Civil Service Commission (CSC) recently announced.
    These figures, the CSC said, represent 17.14%, 16.23%, and 18.13% of the total number of examinees who took the FOE, POE, and BCLTE, respectively, conducted nationwide on 23 October 2022.
    Garnering a rating of 92.66, Jayson E. Necida from the National Capital Region (NCR) bested 59,027 FOE examinees, while Rolando O. Tubo, Jr. also from NCR and Jannette Quinne A. Hernando from Davao Region, both with a rating of 91.08, topped the 9,696 hopefuls of the POE. For the BCLTE, Dexter M. Recio from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Yin K. Baitus from SOCCSKSARGEN, and Kelvin B. Ramos from Central Luzon, all with 91.78 rating, led the 5,963 examinees.
    Completing the list of top performers are, for the FOE: Lesther L. Reyes (Central Luzon)–91.90; Spencer U. Mangalindan (Central Luzon)–91.65; Frida Iris G. Perez (Cagayan Valley), Janesse Mae D. Calibo (Northern Mindanao), Niño Joseph T. Salamanque (Bicol Region), and John M. Villahermosa (Davao Region)–90.89; Matthew D. Jimenez (Central Visayas)–90.63; and Joel Byron A. Navasca (Davao Region), and Mark Daniel D. Castro (Bicol Region) – 90.38.
    For the POE: Ma Lyka R. Malate (Eastern Visayas)–89.64; Rico M. Espino (NCR), Meryll C. Barrun (Bicol Region), and Jesus Sunga (Southern Tagalog)–89.16; Kierkymble M. Alcantara (Southern Tagalog)–88.67; and Benjamin C. Tobias III (NCR), Thea Alyzsa V. Tagabi (NCR), Thor Angelo G. Dela Cruz (NCR), and Queruben V. Valenzuela (SOCCSKSARGEN)–88.43.
    For the BCLTE: Janice L. Talaro (Cagayan Valley)–91.51; Helen Grace A. Domingo (CAR), Rogelyn O. Amith (Central Visayas), Laumar Daime J. Bautista (Western Visayas), Arnel S. Rosas (Southern Tagalog), and Angielyn G. Corpuz (Ilocos Region)–91.23; and Ivan Gil C. Priego (Caraga), and Rowena C. Nangit (NCR)–90.96.
    On regional performance, the CSC reported that Northern Mindanao posted the highest passing rate for both FOE and POE at 26.58% and 23.45%, respectively. Such percentage is translated into 773 passers out of 2,908 examinees for the FOE, and 83 passers out of 354 examinees for the POE.
    For the BCLTE, the CSC said that Central Luzon, which registered a passing rate of 26.37% or 53 of 201 examinees, emerged as the region with the highest passing rate.
    The complete list of successful examinees of the 23 October 2023 FOE, POE, and BCLTE may be accessed at the CSC website www.csc.gov.ph.
    Examinees, both passed and failed, may generate their individual test result through OCSERGS or the Online Civil Service Examination Results Generation System which can also be accessed at the CSC Website. OCSERGS will be available by 18 December 2022.
    Passers may claim their Certification of Eligibility, through the CSC Regional/Field Offices, by 04 January 2023. For requirements and procedures on the release of the Certification of Eligibility, passers are advised to coordinate with the CSC Regional Office concerned. A complete directory of CSC Regional Offices is also available at the CSC Website.
    The CSC said that the resulting eligibilities, which are the Fire Officer Eligibility and the Penology Officer Eligibility, are both second level eligibilities that are specific and appropriate for second level ranks in the fire protection and jail management and penology services, respectively, and other functionally related services.
    The appropriateness of these eligibilities, though, does not include ranks under the Philippine National Police, the CSC clarified. On the other hand, the Local Treasurer Eligibility, is a second level eligibility specific and appropriate for appointment to Local Treasurer and Assistant Local Treasurer positions, and to positions under the Financial Services in the civil service, except those requiring practice of profession or are covered by Bar/Board and special laws.
 

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CSC-CAR opens application for Cordi June exam

BAGUIO CITY – The Civil Service Commission (CSC) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) said an eligibility examination will be held in June for interested examinees in the region.
    In an advisory, the CSC-CAR said last week the examination will be done in five testing sites: Baguio City; La Trinidad, Benguet; Lagawe, Ifugao; Luna Apayao, and Bangued, Abra on June 19.
    The career service examination-pen and paper test (CSE-PPT) will be for professional and sub-professional eligibility.

    Civil service eligibility is required for entry into government service with a permanent position.
Eligibility can be obtained by passing the civil service examination or by passing a board examination as provided for in Republic Act 1080 as amended, declaring that examinations given by the various boards of examiners of the government are declared as civil service examinations.
    In 2020 and 2021, the CSC canceled the conduct of examinations due to the pandemic and only opened the application in the first quarter of 2022, bringing in thousands of applicants.
    Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, examinations were usually held in March and August.
    The advisory said the submission of the application will be from April 12 to 28.
    “Applicants are advised to book an appointment first before proceeding to any of the CSC field offices to apply for CSE-PPT,” the advisory said.
    Booking for appointments will start on April 9 via the following sites:
https://www.picktime.com/rocarppt for the regional office in Baguio City;
http://www.picktime.com/cscbaguio for the Baguio field office;
http://www.picktime.com/cscifugao for the Ifugao field office;
http://www.picktime.com/cscapayao for the Apayao field office;
http://www.picktime.com/cscabra for the Abra field office;
http://www.picktime.com/cscbenguet for the Benguet field office;
http://www.picktime.com/cscmp for the Mt. Province field office; and
http://www.picktime.com/csckalinga for the Kalinga Field Office. – Liza Agoot / PNA
 

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Ilocos Norte medical school posts 100% passing rate anew

By Leilanie Adriano 

LAOAG CITY – The state-run Mariano Marcos State University College of Medicine (MMSU-COM) has achieved another 100-percent passing rate in the Physician Licensure Examination (PLE), the university’s strategic communication office said on Saturday.
    For the fourth consecutive time since the Ilocos Norte's first medical school was established on June 16, 2015, its medical graduates delivered a 100-percent passing rate in the March 2022 exam, said MMSU president Dr. Shirley Agrupis last week, as she lauded the 11 new doctors produced by the university.
    “This feat is another feather in the cap of the university,” Agrupis said, adding that maintaining the same performance in future PLEs is a daunting task, considering the challenges of the new normal mode of learning and training."
    “The legacy never ends. Warmest congratulations to our newly passed stallion physicians,” the Medical Students Association of MMSU-COM posted on Facebook, adding, “You have surmounted all the struggles, anxiety, frustration, and stress just to stay on course. Kudos for holding on so well. You deserve this exceptional accolade."
    Other top performing medical schools this year were the University of the Philippines-Manila with a 91.23 % passing rate, the University of Sto. Tomas (85.71%), and the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center with (85.4 %).
    The Professional Regulation Commission released the list of 1,427 passers out of 2,837 examinees on Friday night. -- PNA
 

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Rules for March 13 CSE- PPT Cordillera examinees

No face mask, no face shield, no entry to test venue, no exam. This was set by the Commission on Civil Service. Face mask and face shield shall be worn at all times upon admission at the test venue.
    No original copy of valid Identification Card (ID), No Entry. The same ID used by the examinee when he/she applied for the exam must be presented on examination day.
    Photocopy of ID is not accepted. The PSA-issued National ID is allowed.
    In compliance with IATF guidelines, the examinee must submit the Health Declaration Form pre-accomplished not earlier than one (1) day or within 24 hours prior to examination day.
    For the partially vaccinated and unvaccinated, they must present/submit the “NEGATIVE” RT-PCR/Saliva/Antigen test result on the day of the exam. Vaccination Card (for the fully vaccinated) is accepted in lieu of the RTPCR/Saliva/Antigen test result.
    Examinees shall not be allowed to enter the testing venue if they failed in the health assessment/evaluation conducted on them at the triage.
    Wear proper attire on examination day. Sleeveless shirt or blouse, short pants and tokong pants, ripped jeans and slippers are not allowed.
    Enter the test venue through designated gates only. Examinees shall pass through the gate specifically indicated in the advisory they received or as instructed prior to the exam. They must follow signages posted at the test venue.
    Upon arrival and clearance at the test venue, examinees shall proceed directly to their assigned testing rooms. No loitering or roaming around or standing-by within the ground or building premises before and after the exam.
    Sharp or pointed objects (e.g. knife/swiss knife, scissors, etc.), gadgets, electronic devices, mobile cellphones, calculators/watch calculators, etc. are not allowed at the test venue.
    Access the google drive using applicable links below which contain the 10 Commandments in taking the CSE-PPT, health declaration form, list of examinees, test venue map, building layout, and room guide.
    Examinees must read and familiarize themselves with the instructions, requirements, directions and other details in taking the exams. To access the google drive, examinees using non-android mobile phones may visit the internet café nearest to their place.
 

Test Center	Google Drive Access Link
Bangued, Abra	https://tinyurl.com/pptbangued
Baguio City	https://tinyurl.com/pptbaguio
La Trinidad, Benguet	https://tinyurl.com/pptbenguet
Tabuk, Kalinga	https://tinyurl.com/pptkalinga
Bontoc, Mountain Province	https://tinyurl.com/pptbontoc

 
IMPORTANT:  Violation of any of the above-listed instructions and requirements may be a ground for disqualifying the examinee from taking the March 13, 2022 CSE-PPT.

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Bar held in city; no test for Covid- afflicted takers

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Benjamin Magalong expressed his well wishes to the 2020-2021 bar examinees as St. Louis University, one of the city’s premier learning institutions served as venue for the historic bar held Feb. 4 and 6.
     “We wish all bar examinees the best.  I pray that your aspirations be fulfilled with the patience and hard work you have put in for the past two years,” he said ruing that this batch of bar takers had to put up with extra challenges outside of the usual rigors due to the pandemic.
    He said it is more saddening that there were applicants who will were not allowed to take the examinations after testing positive for Covid-19 virus which is one of the requirements for the licensure test.
    “This bar examinations is challenging not only for the examinees but also to all those involved because of the distinct dynamics brought about by the pandemic.  But as in any crisis, we do what we can to rise up and overcome these trials,” the mayor said.
     This is the first time that the bar was being conducted since the pandemic struck in 2020. 
    This is also the first time that it was held outside Metro Manila and with reduced duration and coverage.  The exams will be held only for two days, Feb. 4 and 6.
     The mayor said SLU which hosts the examinations for the first time along with other selected universities in the country planned and prepared well for the event in coordination with government offices.
     Members of the Philippine National Police were on hand to ensure order and provide security around the venue.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, a Baguio boy serves as bar examinations chairperson.
    The City Council passed a resolution Monday urging  the Supreme Court (SC), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC), and Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to allow asymptomatic Covid-19 examinees to take the Bar exams. The council resolution suggested asymptomatic examinees shall be provided separate rooms to avoid transmission of the virus to non-Covid-19 examinees, subject to conditions that may be imposed by the aforementioned agencies.
    Under the Omnibus Covid-19 Protocols for the 2020/21 Bar Examinations issued by the Supreme Court, fully vaccinated examinees are required to show a negative antigen result (for those who tested positive in the antigen test, they may take the confirmatory RT-PCR test) while the partially vaccinated and unvaccinated examinees are required to show a negative RT-PCT test result.
    According to a news report by Bombo correspondent Anselmo Banan, some 272 examinees of the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan City, and Cauayan City were not allowed to enter the examination venues on Jan. 30, 2022 after their antigen tests came back positive a day before the examination. – By Aileen Refuerzo and Jordan Habbiling

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Isabela lass tops 2021 teachers' license exam

Roslyn Vea Damasco, topnotcher of the 2021 Licensure Examination for Teachers. (Photo from Roslyn Damasco's Facebook account)

By Villamor Visaya, Jr.

CITY OF ILAGAN, Isabela – A resident of this city received good news on her birthday -- topping the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) which she took last September.
    Roslyn Vea Damasco, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Education-Major in Special Education and Minor in Mathematics, topped the LET, besting 17,863 examinees with a 93.40-percent rate.
    Damasco was a consistent honor student during her elementary and high school years and graduated magna cum laude at University of the Philippines-Diliman in 2019.    
    “I have mixed emotions: happy, blessed, grateful, overjoyed. Sometimes I want to cry out of joy and of gratitude to God. Sometimes, I still can't believe it,” she said in an online interview on Tuesday.
    Damasco said her mindset since she entered UP was "I want to top the LET. I will top the LET,” which she nurtured through the years.
    “I found the exam, especially my major which is Mathematics, very difficult. From 'Lord, please help me top" to 'Lord, please help me pass' because I thought that it'll be a miracle if I passed. There was a thought na baka hindi po ako pumasa (I might not pass), but God is so great. I thank Him for this miracle. I know that He has a reason why He gave this to me and I want to fulfill His plan,” she said.
    She admitted she got depressed when the LET was postponed for almost two years due to the pandemic and when her grandmother died, and thanked her family for the all-out support they gave her.
    Her fellow Cagayan Valley-based LET-taker, Czendra Faye Compares of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, got a 93.20-percent rate.
    Compares finished her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Major in Biology degree at the Cagayan State University-CSU Andrews. She is teaching high school students at the St. Louis University-Tuguegarao.
    “I am surprised. I did not expect to be among the topnotchers,” Compares said in a Facebook post, adding that her father and siblings first learned of her being the second-ranked topnotcher when the results were released on Monday night.
    She feared not flunking the examination but of possibly being positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) when they were required to take an antigen test prior to the examination.
    Meanwhile, another LET taker from Region 2, Devin David Despe Dumlao of Jones, Isabela, garnered a grade of 92.4. He is a product of the Our Lady of the Pillar College in Cauayan City. – PNA

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UB grad top 6 in electronics eng’r board exam

BAGUIO CITY -- A University of Baguio graduate is among the topnotchers of the October 2021 electronics engineer licensure examination.
    Rom Ivan Fajardo Balangue was top 6 with a rating of 89.30 percent. 
    He lead seven passers out of the 11 examinees from UB which has 63.64% passing rate. 
    The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced Thursday 710 out of 1,484 passed the EELE while 738 out of 974 passed the electronics technician licensure examination given by the Board of Electronics Engineering in Manila, Baguio,     Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga on Oct. 24 and 25, 2021.
    Saint Louis University was among top performing schools in the electronics technician licensure examination with 87.88% passing rate or 58 passers out of 66 examinees.
    Registration for issuance of professional identification card (ID) and certificate of registration will be done online from Dec. 1 to 15, 2021. 
    Passers can go to www.prc.gov.ph and follow instructions for initial registration. 
     Those who will register are required to bring the following: downloaded duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, notice of admission (for identification only),  two pieces passport size  pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), two sets of documentary stamps and one piece short brown envelope. 
     Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the roster of registered professionals.
     The PRC said the date and venue for the oath-taking ceremony of the new successful examinees will be announced soon. - PIA Cordillera 

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SC: Bar exam test sites known on, before Oct 25

By Rey Panaligan

More than 11,000 examinees in the 2020-2021 online bar examinations will know their testing sites on or before Oct. 24, barring “technical issues” in the Supreme Court’s (SC) Bar Personal Login Unified System (BarPLUS).
    The SC, through the Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC), could have determined the examinees’ individual testing site last Oct. 20 but BarPLUS, an SC-developed online application system, encountered some technical issues.
    The online bar examinations will be conducted by the Supreme Court (SC) in 29 testing sites all over the country on Jan. 16, 23, and 30, and on Feb. 6, 2022.
    The examinations had been originally set for next month, November, but the SC had to reset the tests “after considering the Covid-19 situation nationally and in all the testing sites, as well as receiving advice from various experts….”
    The Bar Bulletin issued for the SC by Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, chairperson of the 2020-2021 bar examinations committee, also stated:
    “In view of some technical issues in the BarPLUS, the Venue Matching Module shall close on Oct. 24, 2021, Sunday, subject to further extension if the technical issues persist. This supersedes the original Oct. 20, 2021 deadline….
    “We reiterate that venue matching shall not be on a first-come, first-served basis. The system will process all choices simultaneously. Earlier submission of venue choices shall not gain priority over the available slots in the local testing centers. All bar candidates will be given the opportunity to choose their local testing centers within the appropriate period.
    “All queries regarding the selection of local testing centers should be directed to the Office of the Bar Confidant at obc.helpdesk.sc@judiciary.gov.ph.”
    The SC had decided to conduct the bar examinations in several testing sites all over the country to lessen the expenses incurred by examinees. Bar exams had been traditionally conducted only in Manila.
    The tremendous increase in the number of examinees was attributed to the postponement of the bar examinations in 2020 due to COVID-19 and the holding of the tests simultaneously with the 2021 examinations.
    In 2019, a total of 7,685 law graduates took the bar examinations; 8,158 in 2018; and 6,748 in 2017.
    For the 2020-2021 online bar examinations, there will be no announcement on 10 topnotchers but those who get a weighted average score of 85 per cent will be recognized for exemplary performance.
    The SC said that aside from recognizing exemplary performance of examinees, it will have a list of law schools ranked from the most to the least number of passers among first time examinees, and a separate list ranked from those with the most to the least number of examinees recognized for exemplary performance.
    The SC’s decision is a departure from the traditional policy that 10 topnotchers are announced simultaneously with the release of the results of the bar examinations.

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Supreme Court resets 2021 Bar to early 2022

BAR HOPEFULS would have to wait until early next year to take their examinations after the Supreme Court-Office of the Bar Confidant (SC-OBC) announced the resetting of the Bar exams from the four Sundays of November to the Sundays in January and February.
    At noon Tuesday, the SC tweeted Associate Justice and 2020/2021 Bar examinations chairman Marvic Leonen’s one-page Bar Bulletin No. 28, S.2021, stating that the Bar exams had been reset to Jan. 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6 next year.
Leonen said they decided to postpone because of the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country.
    “After considering the Covid-19 situation nationally and in all the testing sites, as well as receiving advice from various experts, the Supreme Court, after recommendation by the Bar chairperson, with an abundance of caution and to assure the highest level of safety for all the Bar applicants and personnel, decided to reset the Bar examinations from November 2021 to Jan. 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6, 2022,” said Leonen.
    He added they would no longer accept additional applicants for the 2020/2021 Bar exam. The application period closed last Sept. 15.
    Leonen said that while the Bar exams have been reset to early next year, they are continuing with their preparations.
    “All preparatory activities for the Bar examinations, including the selection of the Bar applicants of their venue, downloading of the secure exam delivery program and other activities, shall continue,” he said.
    Leonen advised Bar takers to “treat this as an opportunity. Keep your momentum. Remember that you study not only to pass the Bar examinations, but also so that you will best serve others. Study well, purposely and with passion.” – By Evelyn Macairan

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SC to open 25 Bar test sites; 3 in N. Luzon

THE SUPREME COURT has chosen three universities in Northern Luzon as Bar testing sites along with other tertiary schools nationwide for the November exams this year. 

The SC is planning to open at least 25 testing sites nationwide for the 2020-2021 Bar examinations so that applicants need not go to Manila amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
    SC Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said there are 16 educational institutions that agreed to have their facilities used as testing centers for the Bar examinations.
    Among them are Ateneo de Manila University, Manila Adventist College, Saint Louis UNiversity -Baguio, Saint Louis College-La Union, Saint Mary’s University, Cagayan State University, De La Salle Lipa and University of Nueva Caceres.

The others are University of St. La Salle-Bacolod, Central Philippine University, University of Cebu-Banilad, Mindanao State University-Iligan, MSU-General Santos City, Ateneo de Davao University, Xavier University-Cagayan de Oro and Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

Leonen, who chairs the 2020-2021 Bar examinations, added that they are also tapping more “large schools” nationwide to get at least 25 testing centers to accommodate more Bar examinees.

The SC will soon launch an online portal dubbed the “Bar Personalized Login Unified System (Bar PLUS)” for the digital filing of applications to take the Bar examinations.

In another development, Leonen said the 2020-2021 Bar exams will push through as he emphasized that they are now in the “full throttle in terms of preparing this,” reacting to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello’s statement floating the idea of abolishing licensure exams, especially for nursing and law graduates.        

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CCDC student top 7 in Social Worker board examination

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Feb. 19(PIA) -- A Cordilleran is among the topnotchers in the recent Social Worker Licensure Examination.
    Kathrine Vaneza L. Sierra from the Cordillera Career Development College    is   the Top 7 in  the Social Worker board examination with a rating of 81.40.  She leads  the 18 passers  out of the 44 examinees from the school located in the capital town of Benguet for  a 40.91 passing rate.
    The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced that 495 out of 1,473 passed the Social Worker Licensure Examination given by the Board for Social Workers in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pangasinan, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga this February 2021. The results were released in three   working days after the last day of examination.
     Successful passers are advised to go online thru www.prc.gov.ph and follow the instructions for initial registration.  Registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be done on-line from April 5 to April 8, 2021.
    The PRC said that successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.
Those who will register are required to bring the following: downloaded duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, notice of admission (for identification only), 2 pieces passport sized pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), 2 sets of documentary stamps and 1 piece short brown envelope.  – PIA Cordillera

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CSC warns: ‘Automatic passing of registered examinees’ fake news

THE COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE warned the public to ignore “fake news” circulating online saying registered examinees of the March 15, 2020 career service examination are automatically deemed passed.

The fake news said: "Thus President Duterte announced last May 1, 2020 that all examinees automatically passed the said exam both professional level and sub-professional level. Congratulations examinees March 2020.

In a press statement Thursday, the CSC said it has not issued any directive to registered examinees of the March 15, 2020 CSE professional and sub-professional levels who did not take actual test.

The CSC made the clarification saying the “Career Service Examination (CSE) is a general ability test that serves as a basic gauge objectively designed to determine and support the merit and fitness of an individual for government career service.

“Such is principally founded on the provision of the 1987 Philippine Constitution that appointments in the civil service shall be made only according to merit and fitness to be determined, as far as practicable, and, except to positions which are policy-determining, primarily confidential or highly technical, by competitive examinations. 

“It is in this essence that civil service eligibility cannot be simply granted or given away without bases. Thus, the CSC has no existing policy on considering examinees of the Career Service Examination as “passed” by virtue of incidental factors or circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.   

The CSC suspended, until further notice, the conduct of the 15 March 2020 CSE professional and sub-professional exams and no date for the rescheduling of the said test has been made to date.

The CSC said the original press release can be found at: http://csc.gov.ph/new-updates/1921-15-march-civil-service-exams-suspended.html

“For this matter, the CSC shall issue an advisory on the reset of the suspended 15 March 2020 CSE-PPT in due time. The CSC also advises the public to refer to its official website (csc.gov.ph), its main Facebook Page (fb.com/civilservicegovph), and its regional offices' Facebook Pages as sources of CSC-related information to avoid consuming and spreading fake news.”

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Filing of application for Aug 20 Civil Service exams suspended

BAGUIO CITY -- The Civil Service Commission announced suspension of the filing of applications for the August 9, 2020 Career Service Examination-Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) until further notice.

The suspension of the filing of applications is in view of the imposition of the extended enhanced community quarantine in several high risk areas in the country including the province of Benguet and the City of Baguio.

“The suspension of application filing is in view of the continued management of the Coronavirus Disease situation in which the National Capital Region, Region III, Region IV-A, and other select provinces have been placed under extended “Enhanced Community Quarantine” until May 15, 2020, and the rest of the country under “General Community Quarantine,” the CSC said in a statement.

The CSC originally set May 11 to June 10, 2020 as the filing period for the CSE-PPT for both Professional and Subprofessional levels.

Last March, the CSC decided to suspend the conduct of the March 15, 2020 examinations nationwide until further notice in compliance to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's Proclamation No. 922 declaring a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines and calling for the implementation of urgent, critical measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. 

Around 293,845 individuals were scheduled to take both the Professional and Subprofessional levels in 66 testing centers nationwide. More than 9,000 were from the Cordillera region who were supposed to take the exams in testing centers in Baguio City, Benguet, Abra, Mountain Province and Kalinga. 

Just recently, the CSC also suspended the filing of applications for the June 21, 2020 Fire Officer Examination, Penology Officer Examination, and Basic Competency on Local Treasury Examination until further notice.

Interested applicants are advised to keep themselves posted on subsequent exam announcements / advisories to be published on the CSC website (www.csc.gov.ph) or on the CSC Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/civilservicegovph) or the official Facebook pages of CSC Regional Offices.

Meanwhile, public officials and employees are given additional 60 days or until June 30, 2020 to file their Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Networth (SALN) for the year 2019. The deadline of filing of SALN has been extended from its original deadline of April 30 "in view of the declaration of a state of public health emergency in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic." 

Departments, agencies, and offices are given until August 31, 2020 to submit the SALN Forms to the appropriate repository agencies.

Government workers are reminded to use the correct SALN form and Additional Sheets Form (Revised as of January 2015). Forms could be downloaded at the CSC website. (JDP/RMC- PIA-CAR)

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Northern Philippine Times newspaper assistant editor, resto cook, English teacher of lawyers passes Bar exams

Alfred A. Dizon

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Philippines – The assistant editor of a North Luzon newspaper based in this capital town is now a lawyer after passing the Philippine Bar exams.

Alfred Antonio “Jay” Dizon Jr., 33, of the Northern Philippine Times passed the Bar exams, results of which were released by the Supreme Court on April 29.

Dizon was one of around 8,000 examinees who took the Philippine Bar exams November 2019 wherein around a little more than 2,000 passed. Dizon Jr., along with his brothers and sisters had been working pro bono for the NPT ever since he was a high school student in various capacities as folder, errand boy, distributor, representative for court raffles, assistant editor among other work related to the newspaper.

He took up his elementary education at the Sagada Central School, Saint Vincent’s School in Bontoc and graduated at Bontoc Central School in Mountain Province.

Dizon later took up secondary education at SVS in his first two years and continued his studies at Benguet National High School here in La Trinidad where he graduated. 

In 2010, he earned a degree graduating a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education (major in English) course at Benguet State University also in La Trinidad.

Before earning the same, he studied Bachelor of Science in Nursing on his first year at the Saint Louis University then continued it in Baguio Central University.

Having a change of heart, he transferred to Benguet State University to take Bachelor of Science in Statistics for a year then finally settling with Bachelor of Secondary Education, majoring in English for three years until he graduated.

During his time in Benguet State University, he was scholar student for two years by juggling between his studies and his duties as a member of the university’s official dance troupe.

In addition, he contributed feature articles to the university’s official newsletter, The Mountain Collegian.

While taking up undergrad studies, he was a working student doing odd jobs as waiter or cook at Greenwich Pizza Restaurant also in the capital town.  

After finishing his BSSE course, he worked as a customer support representative with Intercontinental Hotels Group, an internationally-affiliated Hotel Servicing Company.

After working with the company for a year, he decided to apply the skills from his degree and worked as English teacher at JIC International Language Academy in Baguio City among other schools. 

In 2012, he finished an Associate in Computer Technology (CSS NCII) course at the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) in Baguio City.

In between, Dizon Jr. taught newspaper lay-outing among other topics in journalism seminars in schools and agencies where his father Alfred P. Dizon, Northern Philippine Times publisher-editor taught, going as far as remote Paracelis National High School in Mountain Province.

Government agencies where the father and son tandem taught journalism and communications in seminars included the regional Dept. of Agrarian Reform Cordillera.   

Driven by his childhood passion to contribute to society, he later took up his first two years of law in Baguio City at the University of the Cordilleras.

While studying at UC, he worked to pay financial requirements of the school.

This included working as office assistant at Saint Louis Review Center for three months and as legal researcher at one of his professor’s law office.

His third year was at Saint Louis University and fourth was University of Baguio where he graduated as “Jurist Doctor” on April 2019.

While taking up law in said schools, he also taught online Business English and related consultancy services to professionals engaged in commercial servicing industries such as investment, banking, retail, manufacturing, procurement, finance, information, sales, health, engineering, research, tele-communications among others.

                He also provided English legal assistance to lawyers employed in law firms and private business organizations and assisted lawyers in drafting legal e-mails and making presentation materials about legal topics.

                Dizon also provided various types of English legal assistance to lawyers enrolled in Masters’ schools.

                These included giving detailed explanations on American case laws, editing of American case briefs and others.

                Since 2016 to date, he was a professional business consultant of Manila-based Bizmates Philippines, Inc.

                Dizon Jr. hails from Mountain Province in the tourist town of Sagada where his father traces his roots and Bontoc where his mother Consolacion “Babette” Antonio Dizon comes from.  

                “Lawyering is not all about fame, reputation, wealth, and legacy, rather lawyering is an obligation to contribute to society.” Dizon Jr. said. “Lawyers have a major role in creating a more just and humane society, which I intend to do.”

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4 in CAR among top schools in criminology board exam

BAGUIO CITY -- At least four higher education institutions(HEIs)  in the Cordillera region are among the top performing schools in the November 2019 Criminologist Licensure Examination.

King’s College of the Philippines in La Trinidad, Benguet is the top three performing school nationwide with 96.97 passing rate with 64 passers out of 66 examinees.

The University of the Cordilleras (UC) is the top four performing school with a rating of 96.92% with 63 out of 66 examinees passing.

The University of Baguio is in the seventh spot with 99 passers out of the 111 examinees or 89.19% rating while the Ifugao State University - Lamut Campus is in the eighth spot with 123 passers out of 142 examinees or 86.62% rating.

Meanwhile, Franie B. Bumilao, a criminology graduate of the IFSU is the top 7 of the Criminologist Licensure Examination with a rating of 90.10%.

 In a statement, IFSU President Dr. Eva Marie C. Dugyon lauded all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the criminology graduates.

The Professional Regulation Commission announced that 19,191 out of 43,512 passed the Criminologist Licensure Examination given buy the Board of Criminology in the cities of Manila, Antique, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Occidental Mindoro, Pagadian, Palawan, Pangasinan, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga last November. 

From Jan. 16 to 31 and Feb. 3 to 12, 2020, registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card and Certificate of Registration will be done on-line.

Passers are advised to go to www.prc.gov.ph and follow instructions for initial registration.

Those who will register are required to bring the following: downloaded duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, notice of admission (for identification only), two  pieces passport sized pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), two sets of documentary stamps and one  piece shot brown envelope. 

Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.

PRC will soon announce the dates and venues for the oath taking ceremonies of the new criminologists.  (JDP/RMC- PIA-CAR

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