UC produces nine topnotchers in naval architecture board exams

University of Cebu president Augusto Go congratulates second placer Shayne Ranola Ondray (6th from left) and the rest of the topnotchers in the October 2019 Naval Architecture Licensure Examinations. Also in the photo is Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering department chairperson Jacklyn Antolihao-Descartin (rightmost). CDND PHOTO / Irene R. Sino Cruz

CEBU CITY, Philippines —  It was her desire to work in one of the shipyards operating in her hometown, Balamban, that encouraged Shayne Ondray to take up naval architecture at the University of Cebu (UC).

Four years after, she never thought that she would land as the second placer in the recently-concluded Naval Architecture licensure examinations.

Her placement is one of the nine victories for UC as nine of its graduates landed on the topnotchers’ list of the licensure examinations held in early October 2019.

Aside from Ondray, the other UC graduates who were among the top 10 examinees include Dweena Maye Velez Zamora (3rd), Manuel Ursal Dadol (4th), Ralf Flores del Rosario (5th), Rodette Chynne Goles Naval (7th), Lawrence Dane Zalsos Balili and Raymond Cornico Espina (8th), Russel Debuayan Arnejo (9th) and Mary Francine Simbajon Aguirre (10th).

Ondray said she found time to relax even as she was preparing for the exams.

Zamora, who garnered a third-place finish, said she made it to the top by studying well and studying smart.

“Focus on things that you’re not good at and take good care of yourself,” she said.

Fourth-placer Dadol recalled that he used to play with the antenna and remote control of the family’s television set because he was curious about how it worked.

His curiosity over how things worked brought Dadol to where he is now.

Humility

Many of these topnotchers come from humble backgrounds.

Del Rosario, who is married with a seven-year-old son, said he never dreamed of being on the top 10.

After completing his high school education, Del Rosario did not immediately pursue a college degree. Instead, he worked as a mechanic’s helper. He also served as a construction worker and took on painting jobs.

It was his father, an engineer, who encouraged him to take up naval architecture.

Also the child of an engineer, Naval, who landed in seventh place, said her father was also a major influence in her decision to pick the course.

But she also loves Math, a subject that naval architecture has a lot of units, so her decision proved to be to her advantage.

“If I have to choose a course, I would chose engineering because I love mathematics,” Naval said.

Espina, who ranked eighth, recalled that he almost lost hope he could pass the examinations because the first exam was on Mathematics, which he considers as a tough subject.

“Math was the first test given on the first day. After we took the exam, we told ourselves to leave it up to the Lord,” Espina recalled.

Women power 

For Aguirre, who rounded up UC’s topnotchers, landing on 10th place is a surprise especially for women who take up naval architecture.

“In the past, only the male examinees land on the top 10. Now, us women have made it to the top too!” she said.

UC president Augusto Go thanked the topnotchers for the early birthday gift.

Go, who transformed the former Cebu College of Commerce and then later Cebu Central Colleges (CCC) into UC, will be celebrating his birthday on October 11.

He promised to give cash prizes to each of the topnotcher.

Aside from the promised cash gift, Go said that the topnotchers were most likely to be among the 20 on-the-job trainees who will be working at a shipbuilding company in Japan.

According to Jacklyn Antolihao-Descartin, chairperson of UC’s Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Department, the trainees would be paid P100,000 as monthly salary.

Highest passing grade

In this year’s licensure examinations, the university registered the highest passing grade of 78.13 percent among the country’s naval architecture schools in 2019.

This is not the first time that UC lorded over the naval architecture board exams.

In 2017, UC graduate Jayvie Orbiso Albarando topped the board with 89.8 percent while other UC graduates occupied the remaining places in the top 10.

In 2018, another UC graduate, Joseph Vincent Yntig Satura ranked first with his 92.20 percent score.

The three-day exams covered mathematics, hydraulics, strength of materials theoretical and applied mathematics and general engineering, which made 20 percent of the examination.

Other subjects include principles of marine engineering (20%); principles of naval architecture (30%); Philippine Merchant marine regulation and code of ethics (10%); ship design, building and classing steel and wooden vessels, construction methods and practice (20%). / celr