NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
At least 10 Boholanos were among the 3,485 who passed the October 2024 Physician Licensure Exam (PLE) given by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), out of the 6,600 who took the board exams or 58.26%.
The board passers are Dr. Ma. Flores Vaño Adiong, Dr. Christian Viincent Cabaron Arcamo, Dr. Dave Matthew Marmita Dumaluan, Dr. Johanna Salve Maluenda Echiverri, Dr. Pamela Therese Alvarez Lim, Dr. Earl Dominic Mauleon Nazareno, Dr. Roselle Joy Delarmente Rosalejos, Dr. Mian Antonette Carnice Simporios, Dr. Bartolome III Salas Villamor and Dr. Juan Rafael Reyes Ybañez.
Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines-Manila has the highest passing rate at 96.97 percent or 160 out of 165 successful examinees, followed by Cebu Institute of Medicine (95.31 percent), St. Luke’s Medical Center-William H. Quasha Memorial (95.19 percent), Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (95.16 percent) and University of the East-Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (92.92 percent).
The top 10 are:
1. Isaac Edron Jones Ong, Davao Medical School Foundation (89.33 percent)
2. Rolter Lorenz Mispeñas Lee, UST (89.25 percent)
3. Jerickson Rodney Ngo Cua, UP Manila (89.17 percent)
4. Nijell Tiu Potencioso, CIM (89.08 percent)
5. Kiel Christian Dimaculungan Alday, UST (88.83 percent)
6. Ryan Delfin Parungao Encarnacion and Martin Aaron Miranda Mamangon, UP Manila (88.33 percent)
7. Frances Dominique Velasco Ho, UP Manila (88 percent)
8. Anne Corine Arellano Ramos, Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation (87.83 percent)
9. Christian Lloyd Ang Loo, CIM (87.75 percent)
10. Chelseah Denise Hernandez Torres, UST (87.67 percent).
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Saturday enjoined the 3,845 newly licensed physicians to join government service.
“To all the new Filipino physicians who recently passed the Physicians Licensure Examinations 2024, my greetings and congratulations to you all,” Herbosa said in a statement.
“Join us in government service at DoH (Department of Health). Let us do public health, health systems strengthening, health policy, health financing.”
The registration for the issuance of a professional identification card and certificate of registration will be done online starting November 25, the PRC said.
Herbosa said the new physicians may opt to join the Doctor to the Barrios program for underserved rural areas.
He added that DoH-run hospitals also offer residency and specialization programs.
He urged them to help the government “build a health system Filipinos truly deserve.”
“Consider Family and Community Medicine, the doctors who will save lives at our Bucas (Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service) centers, mobile primary care clinics, and in the PuroKalusugan program,” Herbosa said.
PuroKalusugan is the DoH primary care program that brings health care services closer to “purok” (districts or communities).