BATANGAS - It is public knowledge that the board exam for certified public accountants (CPA) are considered among the toughest professional exams in the country thus making it a big success for those who pass after seeing their names in the much-awaited publication of results.

On Tuesday, Batangueño students Romelyn Carpio and Reginald Laco were both pleasantly surprised after seeing their names on top of the list. Carpio was tied for 1st with an examinee from Bicol University – Legazpi while Laco was tied with 2 others in 2nd place.

Carpio said that reality has not sunk in yet for her and she still could not believe that she topped over 6,000 students who took the exam.

“Hindi pa rin nag-si-sink in, sobra sobrang blessing ang binigay sa akin kasi goal ko lang naman pumasa,” she said.

Meanwhile, Laco said he first found out the result and his placing in the exams from a friend’s text message but he was not convinced. That is until he started receiving phone calls from his professors. “Noong una hindi ako naniwala sa mga text tapos tumawag na mga teacher ko so tumakbo na ko sa Maynila,” he said.

Both Carpio and Laco are students of De La Salle University Lipa and belong to a class of 18 who all passed the board exams.

They said spiritual preparation was just as important, if not more important than their review. “Nag-no-novena kami every Wednesday and we started praying the rosary everyday as a class noong malapit na iyong exams,” Laco said.

De La Salle Lipa Accountancy Dean Wilfreda Dimaano said she already had a gut feel that their students will make it to the top 10 because they have been performing very well in their pre-board exams.

“We take this as a challenge to continue giving the best to our students here in the province. This proves na ang mga estudyante sa probinsya ay magaling at hindi kailangang sa Maynila mag-aral,” Dimaano said.

Carpio and Laco are both graduating with honors - Magna Cum Laude –and both said they wish to see themselves as partners in one of the top auditing firms in the country.