The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance awarding residents of the city who are board or bar examination topnotchers with cash incentives and providing funds for the said purpose.
Under the proposed ordinance authored by Councilor Elmer Datuin, the measure shall cover all qualified board or bar examination topnotchers who are bonafide residents of the city.
The ordinance stated that a cash incentive of PhP10,000 each shall be given to eligible students who are declared as board or bar examination topnotchers by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) or the Supreme Court (SC).
The ordinance stipulated that the requirements for board or bar examination topnotchers to be eligible for the cash incentive shall include the presentation of an authenticated certificate or any document issued by either the PRC or SC as a proof that the person is a topnotcher; he or she must be a college graduate from a school located in the city; authenticated copy of diploma from the school where the awardee graduated; barangay certificate as proof of residency and either he or she or his or her parents is a registered voter of the city.
The ordinance stated that the local government shall appropriate funds for the continuous implementation of the measure which shall be lodged under the City Administrator’s Office to be awarded to the board or bar examination topnotchers.
The proposed measure claims that the local government encourages and aids in the efforts of its residents in taking the board or bar examinations, thus, providing cash incentives to bonafide residents who qualify as topnotchers will as well bring further recognition to the educational achievements of the students, the teachers, the school and the city.
The board examinations for various professions are approved by and administered by the PRC which are carried out pursuant with its guidelines while the bar examinations held once a year by the SC are qualifying examinations designed to assess the minimum competencies to practice law and other professions.
The body said that prior to and during the said examinations, the examinees taking the tests encounter not only physical and psychological obstacles but also financial and economic difficulties.
The ordinance added that in light of their commitment to obtain academic excellence, it is appropriate and fitting to recognize the distinguished professionals.
Further, having a topnotcher in examinations taken by thousands of examinees not only gives pride and honor to the school but also to their hometown as well. By Dexter A. See
