“I consider this blessing as my birthday gift from God,” Nixon Somblingo Balandra, 21, said after learning that he had topped the August 2014 Licensure Examination for Teachers- Secondary Level, the results of which were released Monday, his birthday.

Balandra, a resident of Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, had a 90.20 percent average and was number one among the 26,767 secondary teachers who passed the examination, out of 77,803 examinees in the country, the Professional Regulation Commission said.

He said that, at first, he could not believe it when he saw his name as number one, but the news sank in later.

He had dreamt to be an accountant but since his family could not afford it, he instead took up education, major in mathematics, so that is still related to accounting, he said.

He studied for a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education degree at the Philippine Normal University-Cadiz and graduated magna cum laude in March, 2014.

Balandra is the only son of the five children of Ruffa and Johnny Balandra. His father works as a utility worker while his mother is a housewife, he said.

As a working student in college, he used his free time tutoring, doing typing jobs, and sometimes working at the library to earn for his allowance and other school expenses, and sometimes gave extra money to his parents.

Balandra, a scholar of a private telecommunications company in Manila, admitted that it was hard to work and maintain his grades but he always reminded himself that it was for the good of his family.

He loves singing, playing chess and drawing but is not active in athletics because he is small.

Even if he had dreamt to be an accountant, he said he has learned to love the teaching profession, and will be happy teaching students in Cadiz, if possible.

Meanwhile, Cadiz Mayor Patrick Escalante said yesterday that they are proud that Balandra made it to the top, and will offer him work in the city.*SGG

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