USC grad is top 4 in chemical engineer exam

CEBU, Philippines - A graduate of the University of San Carlos was among the topnotchers in the recent Chemical Engineer Licensure Examination given this month in Manila by the Professional Regulation Commission.

Andrew Marquez Donaire, 23, of Poro, Camotes scored 80 percent to clinch the fourth place and the only topnotcher from Cebu. A graduate from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, John Russel De Sagun Canoza, got the top spot with 83.50 percent. Jerico Jae Caballes Gines and Vryan Gil Reyes Constantino, both of Mapua Institute of Technology came second and third, respectively.

Donaire, second of the five siblings, was not a typical achiever when he was yet in school. In fact, he did not graduate with flying colors.

Donaire’s mother, Caridad, said she did not even expect her son to be on the top of 10 because taking up chemical engineering was not his choice. According to Caridad, her son would have wanted to enroll in the college of nursing at the University of San Carlos but did not make it to the top 200 examinees who took the entrance exam.

Donaire was instead advised by the admission officer of the USC to take up any engineering course. As an engineering student, Donaire’s name was never heard of.

Caridad, who works as municipal assessor of Poro, said that her son’s topping the exam was a blessing to the family. He is now the second engineer of the family because his elder sister is a civil engineer.

There were 383 takers all over the country but only 199 passed the examination.

—/FPL (FREEMAN)