BS Mechanical Engineering graduate Adhone Manulat makes history for Cebu Technological University (CTU) Danao, as he ranked 4th in the licensure examination with 88.70% average score, following an experience that got him “devastated” back in college, which he considered the turning point in his career.
Engr. Manulat’s story proves that while there may be no exact template to acing the board exam, the presence of grit cannot be underrated.
Manulat admitted that he was not an achiever throughout his college life. He did not care much about his academic performance during his first four years and only started to become competitive in his 5th year. But perhaps the most important recollection was on how he got so interested in making to the quiz bowl team to no avail.
“Pag 4th year naku, I’m dreaming [sic] nga mahimu’ng quizzer. Then naa’y time nga naa’y search for quizzers… niapil ku but unfortunately wa ku nadala; akua’ng classmate mau’y napili. I felt devastated. (In my 4th year, I dreamt of becoming a quizzer. The time came when they auditioned aspirants…I joined but never qualified; it was my classmate chosen instead),” he said in a statement.
Despite the setback, he showed discipline and determination to achieve his dream. He volunteered as a reviewer for the quizzers and made the same routine every time, in hopes to eventually earn the chance to compete in his 5th year.
“Inig abut ug 5 pm mubanat na mi’g tu-un kuyug aku’ng kauban na [sic] quizzers until 9 pm. Daily routine na na namu (We used to train hard from 5 pm to 9 pm. It’s our daily routine),” he added.
But then again topping the board exam was different as it was beyond his expectation. He recounted how difficult the last subject was so that he was in complete “surrender” to God. Surprisingly, he turned the tables by making CTU the only Cebu school that made it to the top ten.
A son of a tricycle driver and an OFW, he admitted facing hardships while studying. But everything paid off.
“Nagdaku ku nga driver na aku’ng papa. Nakita naku tanan iyang kahagu… mumata ug sayu ug dugay mauli para lang naa’y ipakaun namu (I grew up seeing the struggles of my father being a driver, who needed to wake up early but arrive home late just to provide for us),”he said, believing much in hard work.
His professors’ encouragement for the most part inspired him to hurdle the board exam. The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) released results on February 27, recognizing Manulat and 11 more from top-performing schools.
He never missed pointing out his College of Engineering family and CTU President Rosein Ancheta, among others who factored in to his success. Ale Taneo