2 Mindanawons among Top 10 passers of Mechanical Engineers Licensure Exam
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/August 17) — From battling illness weeks before the board exams, 24-year-old Marjun Bustamante Espinosa, Summa Cum Laude at the University of Mindanao (UM) Class of 2024, never imagined he would emerge as one of the country’s topnotchers in the August 2025 Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination.
Two of the Top Ten passers are from Mindanao, both of them graduates of UM.
Espinosa landed 2nd place with a rating of 92.30 percent, behind John Kerwin Noche Enriquez of Batangas State University-Alangilan, who topped with 92.60 percent. Another UM graduate Chris Jericho Mangyao Rivas, placed eighth with a rating of 89.75 percent.
Espinosa told MindaNews on Saturday evening that a month before the exam, he fell ill with chickenpox and was forced into isolation, unable to attend review classes.
Despite the physical and financial toll, Espinosa still went on with self-study.
“It was difficult for me, not only because the medication was costly, but also because I had to isolate myself for two weeks and could not attend my review classes,” Espinosa said.
Born and raised in Barangay Lacson, Calinan, Davao City, Espinosa said pursuing mechanical engineering was a personal choice. He worked part-time to help support himself.
“I have always carried the same mindset, both before and after graduation—to give my best in everything I do, because I believe the rewards will follow. Not just for myself, but more importantly for my family,” he said.
Espinosa said he had always put studying a priority, helping him retain what he learned during the review even while doing it on his own when he was forced to isolate due to chicken pox.
For Espinosa, preparation meant long hours of study and discipline, writing notes to aid retention, devoting weekdays from 8 a.m. until around 9 p.m. to his review, and occasionally jogging with dorm mates to ease mental strain.
“The primary strategy to ace the board exam is really consistent review and study. The most effective approach is to start reviewing months, or even a year, before the exam and to identify the study method that works best for you,” he explained.
He also credited the people around him for their support.
“The support I received, especially from my family, friends, and loved ones, had an immeasurable impact on me. It was one of the biggest reasons why I kept pushing forward. My success now is also my family’s success, because they never failed to nurture me with love and support—and that means the world to me,” he said.
Espinosa said he is planning to enter the academe as a lecturer while pursuing a master’s degree. He said he may eventually enter fieldwork but, for now, sees teaching as the best way forward.
When asked what he can advise future mechanical engineer examinees and students, Espinosa emphasized that passing the board exam takes both commitment and self-discipline.
He acknowledged that challenges and moments of self-doubt are inevitable but said these should not weigh anyone down, describing them instead as a step back in preparation for a greater leap forward.
“To my fellow reviewees who did not make it this time, I pray that you hold on to your promise to yourself to become engineers. There will always be second chances. As one of our review lecturers said, ‘You are just delayed but not denied.’” Espinosa said.
The Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) said in a statement on Friday that 1,554 out of 3,808 examinees passed the mechanical licensure exams with a 40.81% national passing rate. (Ian Carl Falcon Espinosa/MindaNews)
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