Submitted by Vox Bikol on
He kept the Sabbath Day holy, and he said, putting God first, everything fell into places. And his story is yet another inspiring tale of unbending faith and hard work.
Ramon Olalo Gonzales, 23, of Almojuela, Viga Catanduanes, and March 2010 BS in Civil Engineering graduate of Catanduanes State Colleges (CSC) ranked 5th in the May 2011 Civil Engineer Board Examination given by the Professionals Regulation Commission.
From long shot to big shot
Ramon or Monching was a long shot of their college in the CE board examination. He had deliberately shelved his plan to enroll in a review class for the November 2010 CE board examination because the dates of examination would fall on Saturday. As an Adventist, he has to save this day as a special day of worship.
So while waiting for the May 2011 CE Board examination review class, he continued helping his septuagenarian abaca farmer father Dulcesimo and homemaker mother Belen to tend their abaca farm in the municipality of Viga, some 32 kilometers from the capital town of Virac. His task was to manage other para-hag’ot (abaca farmers) working in their abaca plantation, and this would also entail him to do the grind of abaca farming which includes stripping the fibers. In between, he would also help in their ‘niyogan’ (coconut plantation) and in tenanting a rice farm.
For several months after his graduation, this was his task. And his modest income from selling their farm produce enabled him to save money that would help him steer his review classes.
Reclaiming CSC glory
Ramon earned a rating of 94.05 percent in the CE board exam and was the only placer among the Top 10 finishers who came from a state college in an island province. The rest of the topnotchers are from leading universities and engineering schools in the country such as UP Los Baños, PUP, Mapua, TIP, University of San Carlos in Cebu, University of Cebu , Mindanao State University and University of San Carlos .
Unknown to many, Monching is also a Registered Master Plumber taking and passing the examination given by PRC in February this year while attending his review classes.
In a phone interview, Ramon said he knew he ranked 5th in the exam when he was already aboard a bus bound for Catanduanes Monday evening last week. A classmate and fellow CE board passer relayed to him the good news. Congratulatory messages started flooding his phone.
Ramon finished his elementary education at Almojuela Elementary School in Viga as second honorable mention and his secondary education at San Jose National High School in Oco, Viga. In high school, he participated in science and math quiz competitions. Incidentally, he counts as a high school classmate Kristine A. Ramos, the CSC BSN graduate who placed 10th in the 2009 Nurse Licensure Examination 10th placer.
Ramon is now the 18th graduate of CSC who topped the CE board examination. Previous CE board topnotchers from CSC are 1st Place, Edwin T. Ogerio – 1992; Ruben T. Quintal, Jr. – 2005. 4th Place . Hazel Boragay – 1993. 6th Place , Devy S. Santos – 2006. Norman N. Tarnate – 2006. 9th Place , Richard Tabuzo – 1997. Christopher Yuga – 2001. 10th Place, Jomar T. Pitajen – 2006; Raisa Joyce de Vera – 2006 ; Ronnel G. Gianan – 2007. 11th Place, Mary Ann Traqueña – 2004. 12th Place , Keyel Isorena – 2005; Nathaniel Turado – 2005. 15th Place , Ananias Fernandez, Jr. – 2001. 16th Place , Gilbert del Valle – 2005. 17th Place , Aldrin Tapel – 1998. 19th Place , Vicente Tayam, Jr. – 2002.
FB wallposts, comments
Ramon said he found during the board examination Design Structure subject as most challenging and Geotechnical Hydraulics as the easiest. He added he got motivations from his professors at their Department of Civil Engineering and drew loads of inspiration from his family. In his Facebook account, he also intimated “Nagbunga man yung five-months-no cellphone.” As of Friday evening, May 20, his Facebook account had over 50 wall posts of congratulations.
However, it’s not all-serious stuff for this newest CE board topnotcher from CSC. On his FB Wall Post, he said he played the video game Naruto 30 minutes after the board examination. “Kaawat ning result mga nheng, nakakaba,” was his reply to his friends’ comments on his wall post.”
The first to break the news on his FB account was Dean Auruz Milagrosa, a 2010 CE graduate of CSC
Fourteen new CSC CE’s
According to Engr. Emmanuel Soriao, dean of the CSC College of Technology, the fourteen graduates of CSC who passed the CE board examination are Barceta, Rotgard Cabling; Fernandez, Michael; Francisco, Dennis Velasco; Gonzales, Ramon Olalo; Magtagñob, Jayson Sambajon; Montano, Edgar Jr. San Juan; Morales, Jayson Tenito; Razal, Ian Pelagio; Soneja, Jay Andy Teves; Sorra, Philip Jayvid Sosito; Tabuzo, Xander; Tivar, Roncar Raffy Romero; Tonio, Alden Abareta and Vasol, Shiela Ann Bozar.
Ramon will receive P15,000 incentive from the CSC administration and a certificate of recognition during an awarding ceremony for the CSC May 2011 CE board examination topnotcher and passers. (Gerry S. Rubio, Virac, Catanduanes)