Batch 1: 90 Filipino nurses take first-ever NCLEX in RP

After dropping by the church to pray for guidance, Vivien Butac arrived two hours early at the Trident Building in Makati City, bringing examination permit and hopes of soon leaving for the United States to work as a nurse. Butac was the first applicant to arrive at the Pearson Professional Center where the first-ever National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in the Philippines was held Thursday morning. She is one of some 90 registered nurses who took the six-hour examination, which is among the requirements of the United States for Filipino nurses who plan to work there. "I really can't describe how I'm feeling today. I think I'm having butterflies in my stomach. I really can't explain it," an anxious Butac told GMA News in Filipino. After months of reviewing Butac could only add, "This is not your usual exam. I need to do good here to make my all my preparations and expenses worth it." Shortly after Butac arrived, Benjie Almonte waited for the building doors to open so he could take the exam. The 43-year-old Almonte is a highly skilled Filipino worker – a mechanical engineer – who like many other professionals over the past years have opted to seek employment as a nurse. "I just want to give an opportunity to my children. I want to open doors for them," said the father of five, adding that he is taking the sacrifice of leaving the country for his family's welfare. The examination started at 9 a.m. at the 27th floor of the Trident building, where the Pearson Professional Center is located. Future licensure examinations are scheduled to run at the center for three months until December, the television report said. The day before, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo graced the opening of the facility, which is owned and operated by the Pearson Virtual University Enterprise (VUE). Meanwhile, officials from both Pearson VUE and the government assured that there would be no repeat of the controversial leakage of the 2006 Nursing Board Licensure Exams. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) said it brought the NCLEX to the Philippines because of the "deep commitment" shown by Filipino officials in ensuring a secure testing center. The move spares Filipino nurses from traveling all the way to Hong Kong or South Korea, where the exam is also being offered. Scheduling for examination appointments for the Manila testing began on July 13, 2007 and will reportedly last until December. - GMANews.TV