From solving mathematics problems as a college student to spending up to 18 hours a day preparing for the licensure examination, Jude Bernard V. Miñoza’s years of preparation ended with the country’s highest score in the September 2026 Civil Engineers Licensure Examination.
The Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) graduate topped the nationwide examination with a rating of 93.95 percent, leading 6,337 passers out of 17,062 examinees, according to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
Miñoza’s achievement capped an academic journey shaped by mathematics competitions, intensive problem-solving and preparation that began years before he graduated.
He was named CIT-U’s Mathematician of the Year in 2024 while he was still a second-year civil engineering student.
He also represented the university in mathematics competitions, including the Championship in AutoMATHic 2025 at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, where 43 higher education institutions participated.
His preparation for the civil engineering board examination also began before graduation. Miñoza said he had already been answering previous board examination problems and reviewing mathematics and civil engineering materials while completing his degree.
He worked through examination materials from 2010 to 2025 to familiarize himself with the types of problems that could appear in the licensure test.
“I have different study habits before graduating and after graduation,” Miñoza said, noting that he regularly solved problems and watched videos on mathematics and civil engineering topics even before completing his degree.
That early preparation allowed him to focus more on difficult areas during his final year because he had already developed familiarity with many of the fundamentals.
Miñoza graduated in May 2026 and took the licensure examination on Sept. 26 and 27. In the months before the test, he intensified his study routine to about 12 to 18 hours a day.
Despite the extensive preparation, he did not expect to emerge as the country’s top passer.
He also tried to avoid seeing any early reports about the results. During the five-day wait, he stayed mostly at home and removed Facebook, Instagram and Messenger from his phone because he wanted to see the official results himself.
When the results were released, Miñoza was at home with his younger siblings, watching videos to keep himself occupied.
He initially thought the message telling him he had topped the examination was another joke because his brother was known for teasing him.
It was only after he received a screenshot and saw the PRC’s official announcement that he began to believe he had actually placed first.
“I was still at disbelief. I even tried hitting myself. I thought maybe I was really dreaming,” Miñoza recalled.
For him, the result answered a simple prayer that the years he spent studying would not be wasted.
“Before the exam, my prayer was actually very simple. I prayed that all the hard work would not be wasted,” he said.
“I asked Him not to let my hard work go to waste, and He really gave me more than what I could have imagined,” he added.
CIT-U College of Engineering and Architecture Dean Dr. Evangeline Evangelista said Miñoza’s achievement reflected preparation that started early in his engineering education, particularly his strong foundation in mathematics.
She said the university begins preparing students from their first year and provides comprehensive evaluation courses during their third and fourth years.
Miñoza graduated summa cum laude, adding the national topnotcher distinction to his academic achievements.
For CIT-U Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Atty. Corazon Evangelista-Valencia, Miñoza’s performance showed what sustained preparation and discipline could produce.
The university said his achievement also adds to its record as it celebrates its 80th founding anniversary. CIT-U now counts 789 board topnotchers, including 97 first placers.
Miñoza said civil engineering is more than an academic accomplishment and carries a responsibility to help address problems in society, particularly in infrastructure, water resources and geotechnical engineering.
“In this country where there are many corruption and there are so much problems in our design, especially the flood control issue, so I think that civil engineering has a very huge responsibility and they play a major critical role in improvements in our society,” he said.
His decision to pursue civil engineering was initially driven by his interest in mathematics and physics. After researching some of the country’s most difficult engineering programs, he chose civil engineering as a challenge.
He initially planned to work in the private sector, particularly in construction, to strengthen his design skills.
After topping the licensure examination, however, Miñoza said he is now open to opportunities in private practice, government service and teaching.
His academic journey also included a difficult setback when a fire destroyed many of his belongings while he was pursuing his degree, including his money, valid identification cards, books and school supplies.
“I lost all my valid IDs, all my money, the important things like books and school supplies kay wala jud koy nakuha,” Miñoza said.
Friends later helped him rebuild his study materials by donating books and providing other support as he continued his engineering education and prepared for the licensure examination.
Looking back, Miñoza said he did not achieve the No. 1 ranking alone. He credited his parents, siblings, professors, review center, friends and others who supported him throughout his journey.
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