John Rey Bellita Fabre from the University of Cebu secured the 10th spot in the February 2025 Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination with a rating of 88.90%. Meanwhile, his fellow UC graduate, Nico Anthony Ferenal Tejano, topped the exam with a 93.50% rating. | Contributed Photos
At exactly noon on the last day of the Mechanical Engineering Licensure Examination, Engineer John Rey Bellita Fabre was shading his answer sheet faster than he had ever done before—not because he had already solved every question but because his stomach had other plans.
The pain had started at 2 a.m. and returned at 4 a.m., and by mid-morning, it was unbearable. At 10:30 a.m., he paused for half an hour, trying to calm his stomach. But by noon, he knew he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I just started shading my answers so I could go to the CR,” he recalled. “Sayang kaayo ang almost one hour.”
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Little did he know that this unexpected struggle would become part of a greater victory. Despite the discomfort and the time lost during the exam, his dedication and perseverance paid off, securing him a spot in the Top 10 of the Mechanical Engineer Licensure Examination.
But this isn’t just about the diarrhea. This was about the years of hard work, sacrifices, and an unshakable belief in himself that pushed him to overcome every challenge along the way.
From sikad rides
Growing up in Biasong, Talisay City, Cebu, John Rey’s childhood was a mix of play and business. He was the fifth of eight siblings in a family where everyone had to contribute. His father was a barangay tanod and a trisikad driver who also owned a small vulcanizing shop, while his mother was a housewife.
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As a child, he and his siblings would help their father earn money by taking passengers on their sikad. Even their mother would sometimes join in to make ends meet.
In high school, John Rey worked as a caregiver for a paralyzed person and even learned vulcanizing. These experiences shaped his work ethic and fueled his determination to finish school.
John Rey Fabre: Path to engineering
John Rey initially wanted to take Nautical Studies at UC METC, but he failed the physical exam. Since he was already enrolled at the University of Cebu, he shifted to the STEM strand and later pursued Mechanical Engineering.
Unlike many topnotchers, he didn’t always top his class.
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“Average student ra ko,” he admitted. “Pero gi-haguan jud nako ug oras ang pagtuon.” (I was just an average student, but I really put in the effort to study.)
He was also a working scholar, which meant juggling academics with responsibilities at the university. The faculty and staff in his department became his mentors, guiding him through the challenges of college life.
The road to the board exam
Preparing for the board exam was no easy feat. For six months, John Rey tried to follow a strict study schedule but often found himself adjusting as needed.
His goal was simple: solve at least 100 problems daily. Some days, when he wasn’t feeling well, he settled for 70.
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Financial struggles were another challenge. To save money, he sold goods in his dorm, but after two months, he had to stop because he had used up his capital.
From then on, he lived on a tight budget, sometimes surviving on eggs alone for days just to stretch his allowance.
The exam day struggles
The first day of the exam was nerve-wracking. His hands were shaking so much that he struggled to write his name on the answer sheet.
But nothing could have prepared him for what happened on the last day, when stomach pain threatened to ruin everything he had worked for.
“I woke up at 2 a.m. with a terrible stomachache. By 4 a.m., it hit me again, even after taking medicine,” he said.
During the exam, it returned at 10:30 a.m., forcing him to stop solving problems for half an hour. By noon, he couldn’t hold it any longer.
“I had to rush my shading just to make it to the restroom,” he said. “Sayang ang almost one hour.” (Almost one hour was wasted.)
Despite losing precious time, he gave the exam his all.
The victory
The day the results came out, John Rey was on a bus from Argao when his girlfriend told him the list had been released. Nervous and excited, he checked the overall list and felt an overwhelming sense of relief when he saw his name.
“I passed!” he thought, already beaming with joy. But then his girlfriend told him something that made his heart race even faster.
“Top 10 ka!” she exclaimed.
John Rey couldn’t believe it. He sat in the bus, grinning from ear to ear, while his family back home jumped with joy.
The future ahead
Now, he plans to work in Cebu and eventually pursue a master’s degree. But his entrepreneurial spirit hasn’t faded—he dreams of starting his own company one day.
When asked what makes a topnotcher, he said it boils down to consistency, dedication, and self-belief.
“Dili maayo nga ikaw mismo moingon sa imong kaugalingon nga dili ka maka pasar,” he said. “Mo resulta na nga mawala imong gana sa pagtuon.”
He advises aspiring board takers to…
“Give it your all. Treat it as the last exam you’ll ever take. Be physically, mentally, and spiritually ready. If we could do it, so can you,” he said.
As for the pencils that test-takers often sharpen for good luck, John Rey has his own take on the tradition.
“Some people have their pencils sharpened by a topnotcher,” he said. “Pero ako, ako mismo ang nitahal sa akong pencil. Dapat mo-salig ko sa akong kaugalingon.” /clorenciana
