Cebuano CELE topnotcher shares challenging journey

The graduation picture of Kaizen Daniel Oriel of the University of San Carlos. Oriel was among the topnotchers in the May 2022 Civil Engineer Licensure Exam. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Licensed Civil Engineer Kaizen Daniel Oriel of the University of San Carlos (USC) waited for about two years before he got his license. But it was worth the wait.

Oriel landed on the top 8 of the recently concluded May 2022 Civil Engineer Licensure Exam (CELE) after garnering a passing rate of 92.20 percent. Another Cebu graduate Angelo Hinayas Sigue of Cebu Technological University-Main also made it to the top list of the May 2022 CELE. His 92.60 percent rate placed him in the sixth place of the list.

READ: 2 Cebu grads among topnotchers of May 2022 Civil Engineer Licensure Examination

The Cebuano topnotcher from Minglanilla, Cebu admitted that the pandemic-driven postponement of scheduled licensure exams and the impact of the Typhoon Odette last year, disrupting electricity supply and internet connection in various areas in the country, affected his motivation to review and even his confidence to top the board exam.

“Because I graduated last 2020, I started reviewing early year 2020 pa and then because the board exams kept on getting postponed due to the level of Covid cases, I kept enrolling in the review center, but I was never able to get past the first subject because I couldn’t find the motivation to study because I wasn’t sure if the board exam would be held at that time,” he told CDN Digital.

The 24-year-old civil engineer graduated last May 2020. The scheduled CELE in November 2020 and May 2021 were postponed. 

Since he was not sure when the next CELE would push through, he said, he decided to work at a real estate development company for the meantime, which also made him decide not to take the November 2021 CELE.

Oriel passed the May 2022 CELE together with his older brother Dar Nińo Kendelle.

The younger Oriel said it was his dream to become a civil engineer ever since because of his love for the subject Mathematics in high school. Though he did not graduate with latin honors in college, he said he was one of the few who graduated without any failing grades in their class.

He also said his friends’ support and early preparations greatly helped him during the exams, which he described as a “lot harder” than the previous ones especially that many topics, he said, were new to him.

Oriel said he found difficulty in the subjects Math and Structural Engineering during the test. 

Still, he passed with flying colors, and he has some advice for future CELE takers. He said they should not put too much pressure on themselves and just prepare for the exams ahead of time if they can.

“I would like to thank my family, my mom and my dad, for supporting me throughout my journey…and to my friends for helping me and answering my questions while I was reviewing for the board exam,” he said.

USC was also recognized as one of the top performing schools with 50 or more examinees and with at least 80 percent passing percentage. 

Of USC’s 89 examinees, 76, or 85.39 percent, successfully passed the licensure exams, the PRC said.

The CELE was held last May 1 to 2, 2022 in various testing centers nationwide including Cebu.

/bmjo