Three walked the same college halls, two shared high school ties, and now all five topnotchers share the spotlight as they bring honor to Bicol.
TABACO CITY—Five Bicolano examinees—some classmates in high school, others in college—ranked among the topnotchers of the September 2025 Geodetic Engineers Licensure Examination, bringing pride to the region.
Leading the group is Christon Ledge Paliza of Guinobatan, Albay, a University of the Philippines Diliman graduate who ranked 4th nationwide with a score of 88.60%. His achievement set the tone for a wave of Bicolano excellence that followed.
Three graduates of Bicol University (BU)-Legazpi also secured national rankings: Christy Ricalde Bibon of Bacacay, Albay, placed 8th with a score of 87.00%, while classmates Roland Cambusa Cuevas Jr. and Romel Jericho Bongalosa Ebreo tied for 10th with 86.60%.
Cuevas and Ebreo, who were BU classmates, recalled long hours of solving problem sets and attending review classes—efforts strengthened by faith and discipline.
“I’m extremely happy, as are my batchmates, and I’m always grateful to the Lord for the blessings,” Ebreo shared.
“I prayed to God for guidance throughout my review and the upcoming board exam,” Cuevas said.
Bibon, 22, credited her achievement to prayer and a clear mindset during review.
“Mindset is crucial… what’s meant for you will not pass you,” Bibon said, reflecting on her journey that belief and perseverance go hand in hand.
Bicol University posted a passing rate of 73.17%, well above the national average of 55.90%, with 739 of 1,322 examinees passing nationwide.
Also, among the topnotchers from UPD was Erlyn Kaye Mortega of Ligao, who placed 6th with 87.60%. Mortega, a high school classmate of Cuevas at Ligao National High School, added another layer of pride to the circle of connections that tied the topnotchers together.
From high school hallways to university lecture rooms, their paths crossed long before their names appeared on the national list.
