Raised by a single mother, John Philip Minancillo proved that he has what it takes to make his family proud by making a name for himself.
Minancillo recently placed first in the topnotcher list of the August 2024 Mechanical Engineering Licensure Examination (MELE) with a 90.60 rating, edging the next placer by only 0.4 points.
The Cebuano Minancillo is one among the 1,144 takers who passed the August 2024 MELE.
Behind this glorious feat that garnered him national attention, he proudly shared his life story, from his early experiences with his family to passing one of the hardest board examinations.
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Who is John Philip Minancillo?
In an interview with CDN Digital, Minancillo shared a short glimpse of his early life and experiences as someone raised by a single mother.
Bevylin Minancillo, his mother, works as a cashier at a bakery to make ends meet and fulfill her son’s basic needs. She has made it a goal to never fall short in supporting her son throughout his early life.
John Philip Minancillo is joined by his mother and his family during his graduation ceremony. | Contributed Photo
Of course, that is with enough support from John’s grandparents, Lola Epang, Yoyo Gary, and Yaya Maria, Bevylin, who cared for the young boy just as much.
In fact, the grandparents saved a portion of their monthly pension to help sustain his college education in whatever career track he chose to stay.
Choosing mechanical engineering
Minancillo’s path to mechanical engineering was not as direct as some people might think.
He disclosed that it was not even his first choice to study the field. Like some aspiring engineers, he initially thought of studying to become a civil engineer.
However, someone talked to John about his career options, and he realized that it is worth considering pursuing mechanical engineering as a degree program.
Weighing his options, he decided to take a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Cebu (UC), which, he said, was a choice driven primarily by the school’s training techniques and statistics in producing topnotchers.
He admitted that it was initially hard to grasp mechanical engineering as a field, but he came to love the course as they dug deeper into the topics.
In fact, he loved it so much that he excelled among his peers, and he was sent to a national quiz bowl competition, where he represented his university on the national stage.
Building life outside academics
Minancillo was surely a student who undoubtedly excelled, proven by his grades and his achievements, including the opportunity to represent his university in national competitions.
However, Minancillo made sure to forge a life outside his academic responsibilities. In fact, he is a proud member of Cornerstone Fellowship, which initially started as his extension community.
John Philip Minancillo is seen enjoying his time in his church fellowship group. | Contributed photo
As months went on, what started as simple participation in the church group benefitted him when he needed it the most; it became a place for him to console himself from whatever problem he faced.
This is where John met some of the most important people in his life: Pastor John Sainz, Pastora Lorlie, Kuya Ondy, and Ate Shane, whom he now considers as his life mentors.
He might not have known it yet at that time, but joining the Christian fellowship organization partly helped him on his way to achieving an enormous feat.
Minancillo’s review journey
Unlike other test takers, John started preparing for the board examinations as early as his third year in college.
His experience in participating in the national quiz bowl helped him improve his speed in answering several equations, which he used as an advantage in preparing for the board exam. This became a sturdy foundation for him as he started taking the actual review classes after he graduated from college with flying colors.
While others may think that it was a well-paved review road for him toward topping the boards, John admitted that it was not always easy for him in taking his journey to prepare for the boards.
Aiming to place among the top 10 passers, he worked twice as hard on reviewing, which raised issues in time management after he found himself having to answer tons of review drills. It reached a point when he was forced to sacrifice his sleep just to finish his routine.
John Philip Minancillo is joined by his team mates while participating and acing a quiz bowl representing their university. | Contributed photo
Nonetheless, his biggest challenge was the pressure from people who expected him to top the board exam after he represented their university nationally.
Dili jud malikayan na mag overthink kung kaya ba nako [i-]top ang board exam or basin pasar ra ko.
(I can’t help but overthink if I can succeed to top the board exam or maybe just pass it.)
Carrying the pressure from his university and the people he knows, John bravely faced the board examination last August 2024, hoping his preparation was enough to earn him a place on the topnotcher list.
Topping the August 2024 MELE
After taking the examination, all John could do was wait for the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to release the results.
During the day of the release, he and his peers were told that the results might be released at 10 in the evening, so they waited till then to open the site. They were jolted when PRC notified the release of their results at 7:30 p.m.
He hurriedly checked the site, but he could not find his name in the top 10 list, which broke his heart a little. He later found out that he was looking at the results of another board examination, which regained his hope.
By then, some of his friends kept messaging him congratulatory notes for acing the boards. He was on the edge of his seat as he clicked the right link and saw that he had placed first in the board examination he had taken. Screams of joy covered his room as he celebrated his achievement.
He dedicates his achievement to God, who gave him wisdom during his review days and guided him while he answered the board questions. He also extends his appreciation to his life and academic mentors from his university’s faculty and fellowship group, who guided him toward staying on track with his dreams.
Above all, he dedicates this incredible feat to the first people who believed in him––his mother, his grandparents, and relatives––who helped him financially, emotionally, and socially to be where he is today.
What’s next for John Philip Minancillo?
At 24, John made a name for himself with the help of his family, his fellow church members, and his mentors. With this purpose in mind, he encourages future board takers to be smart in handling pressure.
Ayaw mo ka worry if naka-feel mo og pressure kay normal ra jud na siya. Ang importante lang is unsaon nimo pag respond sa pressure na imong gidala. Just do your best lang sa board exam. Anyway, if para imoha jud na, ihatag jud na sa Ginoo sa imoha then walay makapugong ana. And if dili man gani, ayaw kawala og pag laom kay naa nay purpose ang tanan.
(Don’t worry if you feel the pressure because that’s normal. What’s important is how to respond to the pressure. Just do your best in the board exam. Anyway, if it’s really for you, God will give that to you and nothing can stop that. And if you don’t make it, don’t lose hope. Everything happens for a reason.)
He also highlighted the importance of resourcefulness in studying and finding a technique that works best for each test taker.
When asked what he plans to do next,Minancillo disclosed that he wants to start a business for his mother with the help of the money awarded to him for achieving the rare feat of topping the boards. After this, he plans on working in the country, sharing that he has no plans of working abroad as of the moment.
