12/05/2026
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. BAROTAC NUEVO, Iloilo โ For many people, board examinations are already difficult enough. For Christel J. Surita of the Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology (ISUFST) Dumangas Campus, the journey demanded even more courage, patience, and determination. Yet despite the odds, she rose above them and emerged as one of the countryโs highest-performing future teachers.
Surita, a legally blind graduate of Bachelor of Elementary Education from Sitio Safa Brgy. Patlad Dumangas, Iloilo, secured the 10th spot in the March 2026 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) Elementary Level with an impressive 92.80% rating.
Despite her visual limitations, Surita was known on campus not for withdrawing from student life but for actively participating in academics, organizations, and university activities. Classmates and mentors described her as socially engaged, disciplined, and deeply committed to her studies. She also graduated Cum Laude, a distinction that reflected years of consistent hard work and perseverance.
Her achievement immediately became a source of pride not only for ISUFST but also for many Filipinos who saw in her story a powerful reminder that disability does not define a personโs capacity to succeed.
Being legally blind meant that studying often required extra assistance, adjustments, and patience. Friends, classmates, and academic support networks quietly became part of her everyday journey โ from helping her during examinations and review sessions to assisting her in navigating academic requirements that many students usually take for granted.
Yet those close to Surita said she never allowed her condition and socio-economic situation to define her limits. Instead, she built strong connections within the university community and became someone many peers looked up to. Some classmates even described her as a natural leader because of the determination and calm persistence she displayed despite academic pressure.
For many students, simply finishing college is already a struggle. For Surita, every lesson, review material, classroom activity, and preparation for the LEPT required additional effort and adaptation. But rather than discouraging her, those challenges seemed to strengthen her resolve even more.
University officials welcomed the result with pride and admiration.
โWe are especially proud of Christel, a PWD whose achievement reflects the resilience, determination, and excellence that ISUFST continues to nurture through an inclusive and supportive learning environment,โ said Dr. Nordy D. Siason Jr., University President.
For many in the ISUFST community, Suritaโs achievement goes beyond rankings and ratings. It has become a story about courage, dignity, discipline, and the quiet strength of people who continue chasing their dreams despite limitations others may never fully understand.
Her accomplishment also continues ISUFST Dumangas Campusโ growing tradition of excellence in teacher education. In September 2023, another Dumangas graduate, Carol Ann Cordero Awitan, also entered the national Top 10 of the LEPT Elementary Level after placing 8th with a 93.00% rating.
Still, many believe Suritaโs story resonates not simply because she became a topnotcher, but because she showed what persistence looks like when supported by community, friendship, opportunity, and belief.
As congratulatory messages poured in online following the release of the LEPT results, students, educators, and residents from Dumangas celebrated not only a board examination victory, but also a deeply human story of resilience and hope.
For ISUFST and many aspiring teachers, Christel J. Surita now stands as proof that even in darkness, determination can still lead people toward remarkable light. (PAMMCO)
