No. 1 spot in Civil Engineering board exam
As a boy, he was fascinated watching bridges and high-rise buildings.
Living in a rented house in Talisay City, Cebu also fed a dream to build his own residence.
After finishing a five-year degree in civil engineering, 22-year-old Armand Henzkel Bangolan Canoy stepped closer to that dream when he finished first place in the 2015 Civil Engineering licensure examination.
Armand Henzkel Bangolan Canoy of the Cebu Institute of Technology-University. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
He scored 94.80 percent rating, topping all 3,935 passers of the board examination.
Canoy graduated summa cum laude from the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) last March.
The Professional Regulation Commission on late Tuesday night announced that out of 9,482 examinees, 3,935 passed the board examination which was held last November 18 and 19 in cities of Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Manila, and Tacloban.
“We were expecting him to top it because of his exceptional skills. In fact, he was declared the CIT-University King of Engineers last March before his graduation,” said Engr. Felrem Lor, department chairman of the the CIT-U’s College of Civil Engineering.
Another CIT-U graduate, Jerry Ricacho Marte, Jr. from Toledo City, was 4th place with the rating of 93.75 percent.
Engineer Lor said the school was grateful to both graduates for pulling up the department’s record. The last time an alumnus got first place in the national board exam was in 2010.
CIT-U is used to announcing that “CIT tops again”.
“Na-redeemed gyud ang atong department sa ilang pag-top,” Lor said.
The university’s overall passing rate is 48 percent. This means 84 passed out of 73 or took the board exam for the first time or repeated it.
When someone relayed to Canoy the good news on Tuesday evening, he couldn’t believe it at first. He said the exam was tough and he wasn’t confident of how well he did.
After checking the results online, he celebrated.
“Nalipay kaayo ko kay di kaayo ko confident sa akong mga tubag. Naay mga topics nga wa nako ma-solved”, he said.
Canoy, a member of the Jehovah’s Witness, credited divine guidance for his success in the exam.
“Maayo gani nagbunga ang atong panalangin sa Diyos,” he added.
(It’s good to see the fruits of our faith in God.)
Canoy said the support of his parents, Armando and Henrisa Canoy, motivated him to prepare well.
“Grabe ang ilang support nako. Maikog ta kon di nato tarungon,” he said.
4th place, Jerry Ricacho Marte Jr. of CIT-U.
Canoy said he kept a strict home-to-school routine, didn’t go out with the barkada or keep a girlfriend because he was determined to do well.
“Wa gyod ko’y distraction,” he said, other than occasional outings with his family for recreation.
Canoy is an only child of a family with modest means. His father is a healthcare consultant and his mother worked as HR officer of a BPO company.
They rented a house in Cansojong and recently moved to Poblacion, Talisay City.
Canoy said it was ironic that the family didn’t own their house.
“Pero karon, gusto nako hatagan nakog balay akong parents. At least makatabang ko pagpatukod sa among balay kon makatigom nako, kon kaya na sa budget”, he said.
(But now I want to give my parents a house or at least help in building once I have saved money.)
Canoy was Grade 4 when he asked himself how the bridges and tall buildings that amazed him were erected.
He loved to imagine planning and designing them, he said.
A consistent honor student, Canoy graduated head of his class in Cebu Sacred Heart College in Lawaan, and the high school in CIT-U. In college he was a full scholar.
He ended up the class valedictorian and a presidential awardee for academic excellence.
Canoy was declared King of Engineers in CIT-U last March. In his third year of college, he was recognized as Mathematician of the Year.
Canoy said he was not very good in Math in grade school but developed his abilities in high school where he joined math contests and won.
Looking ahead, Canoy said he would like to teach and share his knowledge with others.