For Eurica Labapiez, reaching the national Top 10 of the 2026 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) is more than a personal academic triumph-it is a promise fulfilled to her family and proof that a student from a mountain barangay can rise to the top with determination and opportunity.
Labapiez, a graduate of Cebu Eastern College (CEC) and a Cebu City government scholar, placed 10th nationwide in the 2026 LEPT conducted in March, becoming the first topnotcher from barangay Toong, a mountain barangay in Cebu City.
Her achievement was celebrated Friday, Aug. 14, during CEC’s 2026 PACECGARBO, where she joined fellow CEC graduates Jessa Junio and Jenny Rose Daro, who placed third and fifth nationwide, respectively.
Each of the three topnotchers received P100,000 from CEC as an incentive for their outstanding performance.
For Labapiez, the road to the national rankings began with a simple inspiration-a teacher she admired and her own love for teaching.
She pursued elementary education because she wanted to follow the example of the teacher she looked up to and because, as she put it, ‘I love teaching kids.’
Her journey was also made possible through the Cebu City Government Scholarship Program, which allowed her to pursue college without a maintaining grade requirement.
As the eldest child in her family, Labapiez said one of her motivations was the desire to eventually help her parents shoulder the educational expenses of her two siblings.
Now that she has completed college and earned a place among the country’s top-performing examinees, she said she can begin fulfilling the promise she made to her parents.
Her message to other students is rooted in the fears and challenges she herself had to overcome.
‘Ayaw kahadlok sa inyong gustong makab-ot. Buhata ang tanan bisan nahadlok ka or ikaw ra usa, ayaw pagkawala sa paglaum [Don]t be afraid to pursue your dreams. Give it your all, even if you’re scared or have to face the journey alone. Never lose hope],’ Labapiez said.
Labapiez’s achievement was part of an unprecedented showing by CEC, which placed three graduates on the 2026 LET national Top 10 list. Junio secured third place, Daro ranked fifth, while Labapiez finished 10th.
The feat also marked the second consecutive year that CEC produced a topnotcher in the teacher licensure examinations, reinforcing the institution’s growing record of performance in teacher education.
CEC Board of Trustee member and Vice President Dwight Choachuy said the achievement demonstrates that a student’s potential should not be measured by financial circumstances.
‘Talent knows no economic status. Intelligence is not measured by one’s financial capacity. And greatness is never limited by the challenge of life,’ Choachuy said during the PACECGARBO program.
He also underscored the impact of scholarships, saying educational assistance can help students break cycles of hardship and create opportunities not only for themselves but for their families and future generations.