Cebu City scholar aces 2026 LET

Local

EURICA Labapiez, a Cebu City scholar from mountain Barangay Toong, made it to the Top 10 of the 2026 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT), an achievement she hopes will inspire others to pursue their dreams despite challenges.

A graduate of Cebu Eastern College (CEC), Labapiez placed 10th nationwide, joining schoolmates Jessa Junio, who ranked third, and Jenny Rose Daro, who placed fifth.

The three were honored during CEC’s 2026 PACECGARBO on Aug. 14, where each received P100,000 in cash incentives from the school.

Labapiez, believed to be the first topnotcher from Barangay Toong, chose elementary education because of a teacher she admired and her love for children.

“I love teaching kids,” she said.

As a Cebu City scholar, Labapiez was able to complete her college education without maintaining grade requirements.

As the eldest among her siblings, she had also promised her parents that she would help fund the education of her two younger siblings once she finished college.

CEC also provided free board examination review sessions from 8 a.m. to noon, where instructors gave practice questions and explained the reasoning behind the answers.

The latest achievement marks CEC’s second consecutive year of producing LET topnotchers.

CEC Board of Trustee and Vice President Dwight Choachuy said the feat shows that a student’s financial circumstances should not limit academic potential.

“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.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival Jr. also congratulated the three topnotchers and urged them to pursue continuous improvement, saying small, consistent changes can eventually lead to significant achievements.

“Bright man mo,” Archival told the awardees.

Dr. Carlyn Dela Peña of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) likewise commended CEC for producing three national topnotchers after producing one the previous year.

“Placing three outstanding individuals at the absolute summit of a national examination signals to the entire country that CSE does not just educate, it empowers, it exalts, and of course, it elevates graduates,” Dela Peña said.

She challenged CEC to sustain its momentum by strengthening its academic programs and continuing to produce nationally and globally competitive graduates.

For Labapiez, her achievement is also a reminder that one's circumstances need not determine one's future.

“Ayaw kahadlok sa inyong gustong makab-ot. Buhata ang tanan bisan nahadlok ka or ikaw ra usa, ayaw pagkawala sa paglaum (Don’t be afraid to go after what you want to achieve. Do everything you can, even if you’re afraid or have to do it on your own. Never lose hope),” she said.(MyTVCebu)