TACLOBAN CITY- This year’s top notcher of the certified public accountancy board examination is a graduate of the Asian Development Foundation College (ADFC), this city.

And Rommel Rhion Edusma admitted that his topping the accountancy board examinations could be a life changer experience not only for him but for his family. And this early, the 25-year Edusma promised that he would finance the studies of their younger sibling, who is now on her second year in college. Edusma topped this year’s CPA board examinations with an average of 94.57%, besting 5,540 examinees. He graduated at the ADFC with 15 others. He earned the distinction of being the first to top the accountancy board examination of the school’s 19 years of operations. “Of course, I was very happy when I learned that I topped the examinations. It was a friend of mine who informed me about the very good news. I was resting at the time I receive the news,” Edusma, reached by the phone, said.

Since taking the board examinations last May, Edusma has been staying in Manila. He right away called his father, Rustico, a retired soldier and mother, Flores, who is suffering from a heart ailment. Needles to say, they were also overjoyed with the news, Edusma, sixth in the brood of 110 children, said. While the family originally is from Cabucgayan in Biliran, his parents and some of the siblings now live in Pinabacdao town in Samar as a sister, Rose married from the said town.

The family’s youngest, Ruffa Jean, 18 lives with an elder brother, Roel Al, a soldier based in Catarman, Northern Samar. “She is now taking an environmental course with my brother mostly paying her school fees. But I promise to help my brother pay her schooling,” Edusma said. And during the onslaught of Supertyphoon Yolanda, he was with an aunt, Maria Wilfreda Carolino, at the V&G Subdivision, the biggest subdivision in Tacloban with more than 10,000 residents.

“Our house sustained major damages, particularly the roof. But while Yolanda may have destroyed our house and other material possession, it did not dampen our spirit to move on,” he said. According to him, their experiences with Yolanda only further his resolve to do well in the examinations.
“I did not allow our bad experience with Yolanda to disturb me but rather use it to do better in our examinations. I know this will serve as an instrument for me to help my family,” Edusma said. During the mock board examinations, he narrated, he ranked number #6 among those who participated from the thousands of examinees coming from other schools in the country.

He also topped the pre-board examinations conducted by their school. And with his good showing, Edusma said that he was positive that he would not only pass the licensure examination but even enter the top 10. But not only he entered the top 10 but topped it, besting the 1,107 passers, including those coming from other well-established schools in the country. “Of course, I thanked the Lord for this achievement,” he said. And the first thing he would do is to go back to his roots, at the ADF and teach students there, he said. He, however, admitted that he want to work in any of the country’s top accountancy firms.

Margie Manibad, who handled Edusma on theory of accountancy subject, described her student as “silent student yet know very well the subject.” “He is really an intelligent student. But I have to admit that I never expected that he would really topped the board examinations,” Manibad said. She added that her one-time student would always stay at the school library during his free time. “This will inspire us teachers of course,” she said, referring the impact of Edusma’s sterling performance.
And indeed, this early, its impact is felt as second year accountancy student,Fritzie Corales, said that Edusma’s topping the board would serve both as an inspiration and challenge to them.

“When I learned about it, it made me happy. This will really serve as an inspiration and challenge to us to do better in our studies,” the 18 year old student said. For Edward Chua, president of the school, the honor and pride brought by Edusma is worth celebrating. “Of course, we are very happy. This will bring us honor and pride. We never produce a top one although we have produced a 14 placer previously,” Chua said.(JOEY A. GABIETA)