Cebu grad tops over 16,000 Nursing Licensure Exam passers

(Updated 5:05 p.m.) A nursing graduate from a Cebu college bested over 16,000 others in the latest Nursing Licensure Exam given last month, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced Monday.

According to the PRC, 16,219 out of 37,887 passed the examination given in key cities nationwide last June 2 and 3, with Beverly Anne Felicio Balagon of Velez College at the top spot with 87 percentage rating.

The 37,887 nursing graduates who took the exam last month were less than the 49,066 who took the exam in December 2012.

[Click here for the complete list of passers.]

The Top 10 are:

1. BEVERLY ANNE FELICIO  BALAGON - VELEZ COLLEGE (87.00)

2. JAMILA JANE UY  BORLAGDAN - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (86.80)
   MYLENE GRACE DACULA  GONZAGA WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY-LA PAZ (86.80)

3. MA STEFANIE PALENCIA  REYES - UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA (86.20)
   LACE PAULYN TAN  ROSAROSO - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (86.20)
   AINA FE ROLDAN  SALEM - UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA (86.20)

4. SHERA LEE BRACERO  AQUINO - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (86.00)
   KATHLEEN UY  FLORES - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (86.00)

5. IVY JEAN COMBISTA  BAYA - XAVIER UNIVERSITY (85.80)
   ERIN CAMILLE AGUILAR  CARITATIVO - UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA (85.80)
   ARIANNE BONOS  LABAYO - BICOL UNIVERSITY-LEGAZPI (85.80)
   JAMES THOMAS SANTA CRUZ  SALMON - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (85.80)
   JOANNA MAE CHRISTINE PAJO  SILAO - UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEM MEDICAL CTR (85.80)
   JERRICA MAE BALITON  TAN - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (85.80)

6. DENA MAE AMOR NAINGUE  DESABILLE - UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA (85.60)
   JONALYN PINEDA  DIANZON - OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY-VALENZUELA (85.60)
   ROMELYN TAGALOG  ICOT - VELEZ COLLEGE (85.60)
   DINALYN CALIMAG  RICO - SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY (85.60)
   MARIAN ROSE SUELLO  SALAZAR - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (85.60)
   NATALYA FRANCES ESCUDERO  SOUSA - ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA (85.60)

7. CARL CHRISTIAN TANDOC  AGUNOD - ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY (85.40)
   MICHELLE CUALES  BILLANTE - OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY-VALENZUELA (85.40)
   NICOLE ABAD  DOMINGO - SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY (85.40)
   SHIELA MAE SUMILE  ENOPIA - LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY-MANILA (85.40)
   NIKKI NATHASIA CAMINONG  JAVIER - VELEZ COLLEGE (85.40)
   BERMON WREN REYES  PUNZALAN - UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA (85.40)
   EPHRAIM JOHN FABRIG  SEPNIO - CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY-MANILA (85.40)

8. SHERRY MAE MANZANARES  AMPIL - CEBU NORMAL UNIVERSITY (CEBU STATE COLLEGE) (85.20)
   ALYSSA JIMENEZ  DIAZ - WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY-LA PAZ (85.20)
   CALVIN REI LONTOC  MACROHON - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (85.20)
   DAN NATHANIEL MABALLO  ORDOÑO - SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY (85.20)
   LUNUEL SURRIANE MANGARING  SAMONTE - CHINESE GENERAL HOSPITAL COLLEGES (85.20)
   RICHELLE JANE CANDO  SANTOS - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (85.20)
   REJENNE GULFAN  SOTES - CEBU DOCTORS UNIVERSITY (85.20)
   GWEN EUNICE RUBIO  UMALI - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (85.20)

9. DIANNE KARLA LOPEZ  AVILA - CATANDUANES STATE UNIVERSITY - VIRAC (85.00)
   JEMIAH LYN CASTAÑEDA  BRAGADO - BENGUET STATE UNIVERSITY-LA TRINIDAD (85.00)
   PAULINA ERIKA RAMIREZ  IRMSCHER - SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY (85.00)
   PAULA JEAN VIBAR  MASANGCAY - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (85.00)
   GUADA FE MARIE JORE  MERCADO - CEBU NORMAL UNIVERSITY (CEBU STATE COLLEGE) (85.00)
   KATRINA SARAH MAE PULGAR  PAULINO - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (85.00)
   JOANNA LISSA FANG  PAYURAN - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (85.00)
   KRISTIN MASARATE  PEÑA - BICOL UNIVERSITY-LEGAZPI (85.00)
   ARNICA MAE APOLINARIO  REMOQUILLO - UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTA ISABEL (COL DE STA ISABEL) (85.00)
   MARIANN STEPHANIE BRILLANTES  ROSALES - CEBU NORMAL UNIVERSITY (CEBU STATE COLLEGE)
(85.00)
   KATHRINA ANGELICA RAGUINDIN  TAASIN - SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY (85.00)
   ABEGAIL CLAVO  VILLALUNA - CATANDUANES STATE UNIVERSITY - VIRAC (85.00)

10. CAMELIA DAYUPAY  ACHONDO - ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY (84.80)
    CARMELINE RESMEROS  ASENCION - SAINT MICHAEL'S COLLEGE-ILIGAN CITY (84.80)
    CARMELLE PHOEBE LAGURA  BAGUIO - XAVIER UNIVERSITY (84.80)
    APRIL FAYE PAMILLARAN  BARBADILLO - ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA (84.80)
    PHILIPP ENRICO NOSCAL  BARRAMEDA - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (84.80)
    PATRICK JOSEPH MAURICIO  BASELERES - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (84.80)
    MARK ANTHONY MUÑOZ  CACCAM - UNIVERSITY OF PANGASINAN (84.80)
    DIANNE JOY PACADA  DE GUZMAN - UNION CHRISTIAN COLLEGE (84.80)
    JENNELYN CANLAS  GUANCO - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (84.80)
    SHIELA ALEONAR  HERUELA - VELEZ COLLEGE (84.80)
    KYZIA ANN DE GUZMAN  KINTANAR - VELEZ COLLEGE (84.80)
    APRIL JUNG BUN BULANHAGUI  LEE - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (84.80)
    JOY VELASCO  MEDINA - BICOL UNIVERSITY-LEGAZPI (84.80)
    CHELSEA MAE NIDO  NOBLEZA - SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY (84.80)
    ERNEST MATTHEW PROVIDO  PAGGABAO - UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA (84.80)
    MARK BILLY LACOSTALES  PERPETUA - OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY-ANTIPOLO CITY (84.80)
    GEMICAH NICOLE FULAY  ROJAS - UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (84.80)
    GINO GUERRERO  ROSALES - SOUTHVILLE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AND COLLEGES (84.80)
    EYART JAZ VILLARIN  SORIANO - NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY (84.80)
    DOMINGO OLASO  VELITARIO - CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE-NABUA (84.80)

The PRC said pursuant to Section 16 of Republic Act No. 9173, “all successful candidates in the examination shall be required to take an oath of professional before the Board or any government official authorized to administer oaths prior to entering upon the nursing practice.”

It added registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be announced later.

Oversupply of nurses

The Philippines produces up to 100,000 nurses every year — way more than the about 36,000 official positions in both the private and public sector.

This year's passing rate was of 42.81 was no different, although it was an improvement from December 2012's passing rate of 34.45.

Due to the declining quality and oversupply of nurses, the Commission on Higher Education in 2004 declared a moratorium on the opening of new nursing schools. Despite the order freezing the opening of new programs, more than 120 schools began offering nursing courses in the three years following the moratorium, according to a VERA Files report in 2009.

In February 2012, Labor Communications Director Nicon Fameronag urged incoming college students to avoid nursing courses, as the demand for nurses had already declined. — Carmela G. Lapeña/KBK, GMA News