ILOILO CITY—For two young men from the state university in this city, poverty became a motivation rather than a barrier to better times.

Clinton Rosita Rabadon, 27, and Temie Paul Villarino, 31, both dreamt of becoming doctors, seemingly impossible given their lowly economic background.

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But Rabadon and Villarino didn’t just pass the recent Physician Licensure Examinations (PLE); they aced it.

Rabadon topped the board with an 89.83 percent rating, while Villarino placed ninth with a rating of 87.42 percent.

The two alumni of the West Visayas State University (WVSU) in La Paz district proved themselves winners as well when they decided to give back to their community by serving the needy in their home province.

Poverty-stricken areas

The harsh realities of living in poverty-stricken areas pushed him to become a doctor, Rabadon said. “You see patients in your locality who could not even go to the hospital. Those experiences molded my childhood and I [realized], I wanted to be a doctor,” he said.

A native of Masbate, Rabadon is the second youngest of four siblings born to Molyn Rabadon, a public secondary school teacher, and Freddie Rabadon, a farmer.

“I grew up in a family where we had to work hard to survive. That [became] my motivation,” he said.

Rabadon, a consistent honor student and high school valedictorian, finished his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at Bicol University Polangui Campus in Albay and placed 10th in the July 2010 Nursing Licensure Examination. He then enrolled at the WVSU for his medical degree.

Preparing for the PLE wasn’t easy, he recalled. At some point, he didn’t have the money to enrol in a review center until a family friend offered to pay for it.

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Just two weeks before the review, his father had a stroke, and Rabadon thought of giving up. But his family encouraged him to stay the course.

Finally, on March 14, he saw the results of the PLE, with his name on top. He broke down and cried.

“The exams were very difficult,” he recalled. “It wasn’t just about knowledge; you should also be prepared emotionally and spiritually … But I’m very thankful that my prayers were answered.”

Seven siblings

Now preoccupied with medical missions, Rabadon said he’d work part time as a general practitioner while waiting for his residency next year.

“If God will allow me to successfully finish my residency, I’m planning to go back and work for Masbateños,” he said.

Like Rabadon’s, Villarino’s mother is also a public school teacher, now retired, who taught the value of education to him and his seven siblings.

“My mama always told us, ‘We are poor and we don’t have wealth or land to pass on to you. We can only give you a good education,’” said Villarino, whose father, like Rabadon’s, is also a farmer.

A high school valedictorian, Villarino graduated magna cum laude from Western Mindanao State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Villarino, who hails from Zamboanga del Norte, said he didn’t expect to land in the top 10, but was “just very happy for all the things that [have] happened.”

Like Rabadon, he wants to go back to his hometown in Godod, Zamboanga del Norte, and become his community’s first ever licensed physician so people won’t have to go far and spend much for a proper medical consultation.

“I cannot turn my back on people who really need my help. I will not specialize. I’ll probably become a municipal health officer,” he said.

You don’t have to be rich to become a physician or be someone, Villarino said of his success. “You can be anyone as long as you have perseverance and the support of your family and loved ones.” he added.

Making history

Dr. Jose Nemesio Granada, the dean of the WVSU College of Medicine, said Rabadon had made history for the college.

“This is the first time in the history of [our] college since 1975 that we have a [PLE] No. 1. The entire faculty and staff are quite appreciative of this achievement,” he added.

Aside from Rabadon and Villarino being good students, the dean attributed their top 10 rankings and the state university’s 100-percent passing rate to its “rigid screening process and its committed and supportive faculty.”

The excellence factor helps a lot as well, the WVSU official added.

“Dr. Rabadon and Dr. Villarino consistently belonged to the top 10 of their class. They are conscientious, dedicated and they’ve never failed to impress the faculty because of their intelligence,” Granada said.

Values, too, play a role, he said.

“We train our students to be compassionate. Our main objective is to convince them to commit to serve the Filipino people. When you enter the WVSU College of Medicine, you are treated as scholars because you are paying a very minimal fee. That means you have to give back to the community after graduation and after you pass the board,” Granada said.

Rabadon was a regular library habitue, recalled Rosa Lea Baldevarona, his classmate.

“Every day, you see [Clinton] borrow a book or two from the library and efficiently devour the chapters before [class]. He provides insightful answers to small group discussions, but remains a humble person. He never brags about his medals and the trophies that his quiz bee team brings back home,” she added.

Villarino, on the other hand, is described as an earnest scholar who vows to pay his benefactors forward by offering quality medical service in a community setting. He is a fellow member of the Campus Crusade for Christ who has his heart set on the Doctors to the Barrios program of the Department of Health, Baldevarona said.

At the same time, she added, “throughout his medical training in Iloilo, Temie Paul recognized the need for holistic development by joining the college’s cheer dance and theatrical modern dance groups.”

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