IT is a great honor to be able to bring pride to your homeplace.
Aside from politicians, businessmen, philanthropists, and public figures often heard and read in news reports, many private individuals also deserve the spotlight.
The year 2023 has been stellar for many Ilonggos, who brought pride not only to themselves, their families, friends, and school but also to the city and province of Iloilo.
These young Ilonggos are just some of them./PN
Elvert Bañares
Bañares is the producer-director of the short film “Sa Paglupad Ka Banog,” which won Best Short Film at the 46th Gawad Urian Awards.
This film is said to be the first among the winners to have the actors of Panay Bukidnon as the main cast, particularly Cultural Master Romulo Caballero and his real-life grandson Jashem Rosh Caballero Padernal, who were the first to be given consent by the Panay Council of Elders in close coordination with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples in Region 6.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts also awarded the film Best Indigenous Language Film at the 13th Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival in Malaysia.
Photo: Paul Sugano for NCCA / Myish Endonila
Romelyn Sarmoy Gabanto
Gabanto ranked 9th in the September 2023 Licensure Examinations for Certified Public Accountants (CPA).
Hailing from Barangay Hibao-an Sur in the Mandurriao district of Iloilo City, the 24-year-old is the youngest of four siblings.
Her father, Roland, 61, is a dedicated street sweeper, and her mother, Milagros, 53, is a housewife.
The Central Philippine University (CPU) graduate achieved a rating of 88.7 percent.
The Professional Regulation Commission announced that 2,740 out of 8,734 candidates passed the CPA licensure examination conducted by the Board of Accountancy.
Cris Vinz Corpuz Tomboc
Tomboc topped the November 2023 Nurses Licensure Examination with an exceptional rating of 91 percent.
Tomboc, who graduated cum laude from West Visayas State University (WVSU) in La Paz, Iloilo City, tied with Aristotle Castronuevo of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila for the top spot out of the 32,203 board exam takers last year.
He dedicated his success to his parents, who worked hard to send him to nursing school.
On the other hand, WVSU was named the top performing school along with 16 others that garnered a 100 percent passing rate.
Gihun Yoo
Yoo won the bronze medal at the Philippine International Mathematical Olympiad (PhIMO) International Final Round 2023, held in Davao City on September 22–25, 2023.
A few months prior, he also brought pride to Iloilo City and the country by winning a silver medal in the prestigious math competition held in South Korea, the World Mathematics Invitational (WMI) 2023.
The student at St. Joseph School Iloilo was the lone participant from Iloilo City who was part of the Philippine team.
Gihun first won at an international math competition in December 2022. He bagged bronze medals at the Asian Science and Mathematics Olympiad for Primary and Secondary Schools in Bangli Regency, Bali, Indonesia.
Drystan Alexandrae Delgado-Torres
He is a member of Western Visayas’ elementary boys football team that bagged the gold medal in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa after a 6-0 beating of Northern Mindanao on Saturday at the University of the Philippines Football Field in Quezon City.
The 12-year-old was conferred with the Golden Boot award after scoring a total of seven goals in the Palaro.
Jasper Jan Santos and Ariel Bedic served as coaches for the Ilonggo elementary booters, which dominated all of their opponents since the Regional Meet and Pre-Palarong Pambansa cluster meet.
Allen Patrick Rodriguez Araneta
Rizza Mae Tagupa Guyapale
Klynne Clarise Manliguez Kuizon
Araneta, Guyapale, and Kuizon tied for the 2nd spot during the October 2023 Fisheries Technologist Licensure Examinations (FTLE) after getting an 86.75 percent rating.
The three were graduates of the University of the Philippines Visayas – College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (UPV-CFOS).
UPV-CFOS registered a 97.67 percent passing rate.
The Professional Regulations Commission Board of Fisheries announced that 33.71 percent, or only 716 out of 2,124 examinees, nationwide passed the board exams.
Rylai Trabado Inocencio
Inocencio, a Grade 4 pupil of Cabatuan Central Elementary School, brought pride to Iloilo and the Philippines after bringing home a silver medal from the World Mathematics Invitational Final Round 2023 held at the Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea last July 14–18, 2023.
Photo: Pamela T. Inocencio
Jirah Mae Gabo Flores
She ranked 3rd during the March 2023 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers.
The graduate of the Bachelor of Secondary Education Science from West Visayas State University (WVSU) in La Paz, Iloilo City, had a 92.40 percent rating.
