DEAN CARMELO J. Esteban of CAF in a letter to President Miriam E. Pascua informed the passing of eight agriculture graduates in the 2007 Licensure Examination for Agriculturists given by the Professional Regulation Commission, July 4-6.

The graduates posted a 50 percent passing mark as against the national record of 34.01 percent representing 600 passers of 1,764 examinees. 

The new agriculturists are:  Quennie P. Agustin, Rodaline T. Barroga, Leovigildo B. Bungubung Jr., Christine C. Deuz, Elizabeth M. Deuz, Mae Aicitel Fleur F. Gudoy, Jenelle I. Idica, and Allan D. Palaspas.  All of them underwent intensive review at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna.  Of the passers, five are members of Class 2007.

The graduates’ performance this year is a big improvement against last year’s passing record of only 19 percent.

Of the 19 schools with 10-20 examinees, MMSU and Tarlac College of Agriculture were the only schools that obtained 50 percent passing, the highest rating under the category.  The rest got lower scores – two even posted zero percentage passing.

Among schools in Region I, MMSU got the highest percentage passing.  DMMMSU in Rosario, La Union obtained the same score but had only six examinees.

Of the 154 participating agriculture schools in the recent board examination, 76 registered zero percentage passing.     

The top performing schools with 100 or more examinees were:  University of the Philippines Los Baños – 98 percent (with 109 examinees); Central Mindanao University (with 122 examinees) – 56 percent; and Central Luzon State University (with 107 examinees) – 48 percent.                                             

Marco Rodel J. Aragon of Leyte State University in Baybay, Leyte topped the said exam.