Nine BS Criminology graduates from the Tarlac State University Capas Campus who passed the December 2022 Criminologist Licensure Examination were given recognition on Thursday afternoon (January 26) at the TSU Capas Campus grounds in Brgy. Cristo Rey, Capas, Tarlac.
These board exam passers are from the first batch of TSU Capas Campus graduates who received their diplomas last June 2022.
They are also part of the 87 BS Crim graduates who gave the university a 100% passing rate in the December 2022 CLE, making TSU the top-performing Criminology school in the Philippines for the third time.
The nine newly registered criminologists, namely Blessed Faith Capitly, Giezel Gopez, Dave Brodett Guerrero, Nor Hendrix Resueño, Mary Rose Garcia, Razell Agustin, Jerome Tibus, Laine Eloise Quisquino, and Melissa Acedera, belong to the Siklab Diwa Batch 2022.
In an interview with Dave Brodett Guerrero, one of the passers from Brgy. O'Donnell, he shared that his preparations for the licensure examination began when he was in his third year of college.
The 30-year-old passer, who received an 87.20 passing mark, graduated cum laude in 2022. He is planning to pursue a law degree at TSU soon.
Meanwhile, Mary Rose Garcia, 37, looked back on the opportunity given to her when she tried to enroll at the TSU Capas Campus four years ago. She emphasized that it was "too impossible" for her to enter college due to financial constraints.
Nevertheless, TSU paved the way so she could fulfill her dreams as a recipient of the Free Higher Education law. Like the other eight passers, the said law and the ideal location of the TSU Capas Campus to Capaseños helped in realizing their college education.
"Napagdaanan din po namin 'yung mga [pinagdaraanan] ninyo ngayon. Alam namin na mahirap [kapag] sabay-sabay 'yung recitations. Pero trust the process lang po, magtiwala po tayo sa mga faculty members natin. Hindi po nila tayo pinapahirapan, kundi pinapalakas po nila tayo," Garcia said in her speech as a message for the first-year Criminology students.
During the program, TSU President Dr. Arnold E. Velasco commended the passers who gave honor both to the university and Capas town.
"Napakalaking karangalan po na naibigay ninyo sa Capas. You will be the inspiration of all the students kasi kayo ang nagbigay ng karangalan hindi lang po dito sa TSU kundi sa Capas," he said.
Pres. Velasco also lauded former Capas town mayor and TSU Board of Regents alumni representative Hon. Reynaldo Catacutan for his involvement in attaining this new milestone.
"And I also would like to thank the efforts of former [Capas] mayor Reynaldo Catacutan for having this recognition. Masaya po ako kahit tahimik lang ako. And I can't contain my emotion of being happy... imagine... Tarlac State University – the top performing school," he added.
Moreover, as a token of appreciation to Hon. Catacutan, the TSU Alumni Affairs Office and TSU Alumni Association Inc. awarded him a plaque of recognition for his contribution to the establishment of the TSU Capas Campus and his support to the students of TSU, especially in the aforementioned campus.
Meanwhile, Hon. Catacutan said that when he first checked the board exam results on the PRC website, he was surprised to see that all takers from TSU passed the exam and that TSU landed as the top one performing school.
"Parte kayo ng tagumpay ng Tarlac State University, particularly [the] Capas Campus," he said in his speech.
He also thanked the present Capas town administration led by Mayor Roseller "Boots" Rodriguez for continuing what he had started.
