DAVAO CITY — This city once again made history when a graduate from John Paul II College of Davao topped this years Geodetic Engineer Licensure Examination given by the Board of Geodetic Engineering in Manila last September.
Alfredo Cahiles Gaborne Jr., from Calinan, Davao City, together with Nebo Allen Manuales Torres, from Negros Oriental State University, Dumaguete, bested 421 others including examinees from UP Diliman, known to have topped the said exam for the past years, with an 86.80 rating.
The third among five children of Alfredo, Sr. and Carmen Cahiles, Jun, as he is fondly called, said he did not expect to get the highest rating and that all he wanted was to be in the top 20 list.
I even had a fever the day prior to the exam, he said in vernacular. Siguro tungod sa pressure ug tungod pud sa sige ug ulan sa Maynila, he added. (Maybe, due to the pressure and to the frequent rain in Manila).
His other batch mates Bartolome Zafra, Cherry Lou Olandria and Tito Epondulan.also made it to the 170 out of 423 board passers this year, giving the school a 100% passing rate.
His two-year work experience in a private construction firm and his exposure in his aunts surveying office, coupled with his natural fondness of numbers, prompted him to enroll in geodetic engineering in JPIICD.
The said college, named with papal permission after the late great Pope John Paul II, is the only college in Region XI that offers geodetic engineering course.
Maglisod ka makakita ug eskuwelahan diin approachable ug supportive kaayo ang mga teachers. Ang among dean diri dali ra kaayo nimo maduolan ilabi na kung naa ka problema; sulod lang ka sa iyang office, accommodating kaayo, Gaborne said when asked why he chose JPIICD. (You can hardly find a school where the faculty is so approachable and supportive. Our dean here is easy to approach. Whenever we have difficulties in our course, we could just enter his office and he is so accommodating.)
Engr. Joselito Lim, dean of the engineering department expressed joy that Gaborne made it to the top saying that he deserves it being a diligent student ever since. Im very proud of him, he added.
Now that the school has proven its worth in giving quality education, our challenge is how to maintain this honor, Lim said.
