Cebu Eastern College honors 3 LET topnotchers, awards P100,000 each

CEBU CITY — Cebu Eastern College (CEC) honored three of its graduates who ranked among the country’s top performers in the 2026 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT), with each awardee receiving a P100,000 cash incentive from the school.

Cebu Eastern College honors three 2026 LET topnotchers—Jessa Junio, Jenny Rose Daro, and Eurica Labapiez—with P100,000 cash incentives each for their outstanding national rankings. | Photo by Carmel Pedroza 

Recognized during the 2026 PACECGARBO were Jessa Junio, who placed third nationally; Jenny Rose Daro, who ranked fifth; and Eurica Labapiez, who placed 10th in the 2026 teacher licensure examination.

The achievement marks the second consecutive year that CEC has produced national topnotchers in the LEPT, further highlighting the Cebu-based institution’s performance in teacher education.

CEC Board of Trustees and Vice President Dwight Choachuy said the three graduates demonstrate that financial circumstances should not prevent students from achieving academic excellence.

“Talent knows no economic status. Intelligence is not measured by one's financial capacity. And greatness is never limited by the challenge of life,” Choachuy said.

He also highlighted the role of the Cebu City Government Scholarship Program in helping students access higher education, saying scholarships provide more than financial assistance.

According to Choachuy, educational opportunities can allow students to improve their own lives while also creating better prospects for their families.

The three awardees were recognized for their examination performance as well as for the perseverance and determination that helped them reach the national rankings.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival Jr. also congratulated the topnotchers and challenged them to continue improving and inspire other students to pursue excellence.

Archival emphasized the value of making small but consistent improvements, noting that seemingly modest gains can eventually lead to significant accomplishments.

“Bright man mo,” Archival told the three topnotchers as he encouraged them to continue developing their skills and serve as inspiration to other students.

The mayor also recognized the contributions of CEC’s trustees, faculty members, parents and students in helping the three graduates achieve their national rankings.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) likewise commended CEC for producing multiple national topnotchers.

Dr. Carlyn Dela Peña of CHED congratulated the entire CEC community, saying the achievement demonstrates that accessible education can also meet high standards of quality.

“Cebu Eastern College has perfectly actualized these goals by providing accessible, high-quality education that can yield world-class graduates, globally competitive graduates,” Dela Peña said.

Dela Peña noted that CEC’s achievement has grown from producing one topnotcher in the previous examination to three this year.

She urged the institution to sustain its performance by continuing to strengthen its faculty, curriculum and academic standards.

She also commended the CEC Board of Trustees for its continued investment in tertiary education and encouraged the school to pursue even higher standards.

For the three topnotchers, Dela Peña said their national recognition also comes with a responsibility to become role models for future educators.

“Carry this prestige with humility, guard your integrity, and use your platform to ignite the minds of the next generation,” she said.

CEC’s latest LEPT performance adds to its growing record in teacher education, with three graduates making the national rankings this year after producing a topnotcher in the previous examination.

For Junio, Daro and Labapiez, the recognition marks both a celebration of their achievement and the start of their careers as educators who are expected to help shape the next generation of Filipino learners.