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The Catanduanes State College main building at the heart of Virac where hundreds of topnotch professionals have emerged, many of them from nearby Caramoan in Camarines Sur. Inset is Dr. Asuncion V. Asetre, college president. |
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Virac, Catanduanes – From a province routinely ravaged by typhoons the Catanduanes State College has emerged as one of the best known schools not only in the Bicol Region but in the entire country. For more than two decades now it has consistently produced topnotchers in government board examinations almost very year, vastly overshadowing other schools in this part of the country. In 1992, Catanduanes State College (CSC) first vaulted to prominence when Edwin Ogerio placed first in the board examinations for civil engineers.
Last May, 2005 Ruben Quintal, Jr. again topped the board examinations for civil engineers with a record- setting rating of 98.25%. From the 1970’s until this year many other CSC graduates emerged topnotchers not only in the examinations for civil engineers but also for geodetic engineers, nursing, midwifery and CPA.
Only last month, Devy S. Santos again placed sixth in the CE Licensure examination. In November, 2005 Merlen de la Cruz copped the 19th place in the CPA examinations.
Now populated by more than 6,000 students, CSC is where many Caramoanon students enroll, the island province being barely an hour away by boat from Caramoan, compared to Naga City which takes about five hours to travel by land or even if by boat to Sabang, San Jose and then by any vehicle to Naga City. Moreover, the cost of living in Virac is still much lower than in Naga City.
Established on June 19, 1971 through the efforts of the late Congressman Jose M. Alberto, CSC started as the Virac Agricultural and Trade School. Now, school administrators have their sights set on having the school converted into a state university. “We can do much more for our students if school facilities are improved and modernized and the faculty further upgraded once CSC becomes a state university,” Dr. Asuncion V. Asetre, college president said. Evaluators from the Commission on Higher Education have just visited the CSC but some observers felt that rather than appreciate CSC’s sterling performance the Manila evaluators seemed to focus on some deficiencies in school facilities, forgetting that government funds allocated to the college have always been inadequate.
“We have been able to produce topnotchers because of the sheer dedication of the CSC faculty, the efficiency of the school system and the fierce determination of students to succeed,” Ms. Aida Dianela, head of the schools students’ affairs office said. “Most students in the college are poor, those who are well-off go to better known Manila schools”, she observed, “and as such those left behind want to prove that better results can be achieved just here at CSC.”
Gerry Rubio, the school public relations officer, said that Quintal who has thus far attained the stature of a national achiever with his phenomenal rating of 98.25% typifies the poor but bright, determined and diligent students of the CSC who are reaping success.
Aside from topping the examinations with the highest rating in the history of CE Licensure tests, Quintal together with a schoolmate won over 240 contestants from 80 private and government collegiate schools all over the country in the National Civil Engineering Quiz on September 10, 2004 held at the UP Diliman, Quezon City. Quintal and teammate Devy Santos ended up first and second respectively in the individual contest sponsored by the Besavilla Engineering Review Center.
Again on November 25, 2004 Quintal won first prize in the National PICE Quiz at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. He represented the Bicol Region after topping the regional elimination in Naga City. Such was Ruben’s determination to succeed that he even skipped his own graduation ceremonies where he was slated to receive awards just to be able to start on time with his refresher course in Manila before the examinations.
Six months after Quintal set the national record, three of his classmates at the Catanduanes State College also made waves. Keyel Isorena and Nathaniel Turado tied for 12th place with an average of 91.9% while Gilbert del Valle settled for 16th place with a rating of 91%.
Among other CSC engineering topnotchers were Manuel Zuniega, Jr., 4th in the 1992 Geodetic Engineering board exam; and Hazel Boragay who has 4th in the 1993 CE board exam and also 4th in the Geodetic Engineering board exam in the same year.
Carlo Magno Guerero placed second in the 1996 Junior Geodetic Engineering board exam; Richard Tabugo, 19th place in the 1997 CE board exam; Aldrin Tapel, 17th place in the 1998 CE board exam; Christopher Yuga, 9th place in 2001 CE board exam; Ananias Fernandez, 15th place, 2001 CE board exam; Vicente Tayam, Jr., 19th place 2002 CE board exam; and Mary Ann Abundo Traqueña, 11th place, 2004 CE board exam.
Merlen del la Cruz who ranked 19th in the November 2005 CPA board examinations is the first CPA topnotcher from the school but this augurs well for future accountants from the CSC.
Nursing board examination topnotchers include Rebecca Sarmiento, 7th place, 1979; Oscar Chancoco, 5th pace, 1992; Therese Pia Noceda, 19th place, 1994; and Ruel Evangelista, 7th place, 1997.
Midwifery topnotchers were Marilyn Idanan Lucero, 7th place, 1979; and Erlinda Frondozo, 4th place, 1993.
