HK OFW places 2nd in teachers’ board exam

 

Dreams do come true, says Dory, when she uploaded her graduation photo on Facebook

An overseas Filipino worker in Hong Kong has made history by placing second in the licensure examination for secondary  school teachers in the Philippines, an announcement issued Friday by the Professional Registration Commission has revealed.

Maria Adoracion Remo Octavio who studied at AMA Computer University in Quezon City scored a remarkable grade of 89.20 in the examination given in June this year, along with three other examinees. In first place was Jison A. Reyno of Binalbagan Catholic College, who scored 90.60.

In a Facebook post, Dory or Mariyah to to some friends, was understandably grateful about her performance, but true to form, did not flaunt it.

PAANO SUMALI? BASAHIN DITO

“Thank you Lord. Pasado na top 2 pa,” she said  (I did not only pass, I also made it to second place),” she said.

 “Thank you sa lahat ng bumati at nag chat at nag comment di ko na po kayo maiisa-isa,”(Thank you to everyone who congratulated me through chat or comment, I cannot name you individually)  she continued, before joking that it might take her a year to come up with appropriate remarks about what happened.

 

The PRC announcement that gave Dory profound joy

Dory’s feat was happily shared by Helen Marcos, who runs the AMA Computer Learning Center in Hong Kong.

Helen said Dory was just 23 years old when she decided to leave her hometown in Camarines Sur to work in Hong Kong in 2009. It was not an easy decision, as she was even then, academically inclined, having graduated as valedictorian in elementary grades.

Basahin ang detalye!

But the grinding monotony of working long hours as a domestic helper did not dim her desire to continue her studies, and when the opportunity came for her to study again while in Hong Kong, she did.

According to Helen, Dory studied at AMA Hong Kong for two years, then took the online course given by AMA in Quezon City, until she finally graduated with a degree in BS Education in 2024 - 15 long years after she tread the path of an OFW.

Luckily, she received permission to travel to Manila last year so she could receive her diploma in person, unlike a few of her classmates who  were not allowed to go home by their employers.

Confident that she could pass the board exam, Dory again asked her elderly ward to allow her to travel again, this time to Taiwan, so she could take the LET there, as it is no longer being given in Hong Kong since the pandemic.

Her “popo” initially said no, but Dory tearfully persisted with her request, as she wanted to take the examination while everything that she had learned was still fresh in her mind.

Her persistence paid off. Not only was she able to take the exam, she also passed it, and how!

(The SUN has reached out directly to Dory for her reaction and words of advice to her fellow OFWs on how they, too, could follow their dreams, and we are just awaiting her response - Ed)