BSEE BOARD EXAM TOPNOTCHER
IS SON OF A POOR FISHERMAN
Joey L. Gois
SORSOGON CITY--This year's topnotcher for the recently conducted Board exam for Electrical engineers in the country is a poor fisherman’s son from Sorsogon City in Sorsogon province.
Jhonrey Aguirre, 22 confirms Engineer Noel Buenavidez, program chair for the Engineering and Architectural engineering of Sorsogon State College, is indeed one of their poor but ever persevering students who took "boso" or a risk exam on April 17-18 on April, which means immediately after the graduation, he already took the state board examination.
SIMPLY SELF STUDY
Buenavidez said Aguirre was one of the 8 members of a group who took self review studies instead of going to a review center for financial reasons."Their adviser Engr. Joselito Orticio guided them a lot during the group study, which was supported by the school administration by allowing them to stay in the school hostel, and using the review materials in its library," he said.
Out of the eight members of the self study group, seven made it, with one unfortunate casualty.
Aside from Aguirre, another member of the group, Leandro Endaya Salamatin made it to the top ten. At least seven others passed the BSEE exam, and at least eight others surmounted the board examination for Master electrician according to the SSC school registrar.
The other top ten passers for the BSEE licensure exam were Genry Ofqueria Oñate (2nd placer) from Cebu Institute of Technology, Fritz Aldrin Fernandez(3rd placer) from Cebu Institute of technology, Raphael Elecho Sumalinog)4th placer), and Jonathan Marabiles Cleofe(5th placer), both also from Cebu Institute of Technology; Sixth placers were Vincent Robin Bersamira Delos Santos from Saint Louis University, and Cristanel Ilustrisimo Jumola from University of the Visayas-Cebu city; Seventh placer was Harmon Jimenez Solante from University of Perpetual Help System-Laguna; Eight placer Mark Erben Ampongan Jaim from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños; Ninth placer was Jose reyes Cabamalam lll from Polytechinic University of the Philippines-Main Sta Mesa and Joseph Henry Molenio Salonga from University of the Philippines-Diliman.Ten placers were Leandro Endaya Salamatin of Sorsogon State college, and Alain Perez Bernardo from FEU-East Asia College.
LIVING IN NIPA HUT
Aguirre, lives in a nipa hut near the shoreline at Pier site in Sorsogon city, together with their mother, two younger sisters, and brother.
Jarry Aguirre, younger brother of Jhonrey told the SORSOGON TODAY, he and sister Jeselle had to stop studying two years ago just to give way to their older brother.
He said, he is helping the family especially "our mother who is doing buy-and-sell of seashells to make both ends meet."
"Our father, a fisherman, was a victim of a cold-blooded crime two years ago, and we really had to bear the brunt of living up against the wall seriously pushed back by shellfish ban the past years," said younger Aguirre.
OVERJOYED TO BE ON TOP
Contacted by phone, Jhonrey said, he was overjoyed when he learned he passed the BSEE examination."I was with my brother in a nuptial celebration of a cousin in Buenavista village last week when I got a text from a friend
that I passed the exam. I first ignore it, taking the message as a jest. But when other texts congratulating me started to fill my inbox, among the texters were my teachers, I rushed to the Internet cafe at the business district, and was greatly overjoyed to have read that I really passed, and even notched the top," he recounted.
Aguirre added that he believed he can make it. He really dreamt to pass the BSEE test, but never expected to garner the highest rating of 89.65 percent even surpassing the examinees from other bigger Universities.
"Thanks God. I was already receiving calls from a number of firms, some were from metro Manila. I hope to help our Mother, and yes to also usher the education for my younger brethren, as was told by our father when he was still alive. I also dream to build a better house for my family.
BENCHMARK SUCCESS
The Barangay council of Talisay, Sorsogon city headed by Chairman Dennis Valladolid wasted no time to extend the felicitations. They ordered a tarpaulin streamer "to express our congratulations to Jhonrey ,a successful constituent of ours, who despite economic limitations had strived and made it.We're hoping that more young people from Talisay would be inspired by this feat," Valladolid averred further.
"He was a DOST scholar, his success, along with the success of other exam passers from Sorsogon State College certainly had raised the benchmark for our school.Indeed, despite wanting for an engineering building, lack of other facilities and equipments, the good teaching standards coupled with the perseverance of excellent studentry, we can be on top," said Engineer Buenavidez.
MOTORCADE AND AWARDS
"Well this is the first time we made it on top.Though last year's Civil engineering exam, our graduates-Melito Daro, and Russel Herno made it to the second and fifth place, respectively. It is a challenge to us on how we could sustain these feats," Buenavidez added.
The engineering and architectural department is now gearing for a motorcade, awarding and testimonials for the exam passers.
Aguirre and Salamatin, who made it to top-ten will be given financial incentives of twenty thousand pesos each chargeable to the President's funds as has been the practice in the SSC, duly approved by its Board of trustees.
"Ours is indeed a provincial College, but we can very well compete with others, for as long as we help young people with great and noble dreams,through sheer dedication, zeal and well meant service," SSC President Antonio Fuentes said. (PIA Sorsogon)
