Nursing beauty makes Tacloban school proud

Alyssa Claire Almo’s Facebook Photo

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—Up to now, Alyssa Claire Anguren Almo cannot believe that she did it— top the 2015 Nursing Licensure Examination.

“I am still overwhelmed by the enormity of this,” Almo said. “I am still dreaming.

Almo, 20, a graduate of Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation (RTRMF) here bested 18,500 examinees from different testing centers all over the country.

The RTRMF was also named one of the top-performing schools in the nursing board exams for posting a perfect first-time passing rate.

The results were announced by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Friday night. It said 9,114 passed out of the 18,500 who took the exams.

“I feel so grateful for this grace of God. I really didn’t expect this. Though I was praying for a spot in the top 10, I felt that ranking first is just unbelievable,” said Almo, who is from Quinapondan, Eastern Samar province.

According to Almo, she has always believed in the power of positive visualization and claiming what the universe would give you.

Like those who excel in sports, academics and the arts, visualization during competition and examinations helps, she said.

“You visualize your name on the rooster of passers. It will help. Ascertain your goals and ask yourself what you want to achieve. Aiming high will inspire you to do your best and push yourself to the maximum potential. I claimed it. But don’t exhaust yourself. Go out and have fun. Reward yourself. Pray and ask God for his grace and be specific in your prayers,” Almo said.

Almo is the eldest of the three children of Linalyn Anguren Almo, a school nurse, and Clarence Almo, a “kagawad” (village councilman) in their Eastern Samar hometown. She plans to look for work immediately so she can support her two younger siblings who are in college and help her family.

“My family will always be my inspiration. Everything I do is for them,” said Almo, a lover of books with a strong faith in God.

But if she is granted and passes the examinations for scholarships to medical school, she would grab it, she said.

“It is my dream to be a doctor someday,” she said.

Almo graduated at the top of her nursing class in 2015 and received the highest academic performance award and best in clinical experience.

She was given P100,000 in cash incentive for her performance in the review for the board exams in November 2015.

This beauty and brains was also crowned Miss Nursing and eventually Miss RTRMF and Miss Dvoref 2014.

Dvoref is the acronym of Dr. Vicente Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation, a law school.

Both the RTRMF and Dvoref are managed by the family of the late Leyte Gov. Benjamin Romualdez, the father of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.

The congressman said Almo was the “new face” of Tacloban City’s rise from the devastation of  Supertyphoon “Yolanda” two years ago.

“We’re so proud of her accomplishment. She is proof of our city’s resilience and excellence in the face of adversity,” said

Romualdez, a candidate for senator in 2016, in a phone interview.

He described Almo as “beauty and brains,” recalling that  she narrowly lost in the Miss Tacloban contest a few years ago.

“She’s been an active member of our school and community. She’s not an unfamiliar face. She’s very well-rounded, very bright and very beautiful,” said Romualdez, who served as president of the medical school named after his grandmother before he ran for Congress.

Romualdez and his family had lunch with Almo at Manila Polo Club yesterday to personally give her the P100,000 cash bonus that the RTRMF gives to exam topnotchers.

“Her story is the story of Tacloban. It’s inspiring,” Romualdez said.

Asked what other preparations she did, Almo said the preparation started as early as when she first entered nursing school.

“That’s how everything began, lessons and lectures. RTRMF-CN (College of Nursing) prepared us the best way they can, and it paid off, garnering a 100-percent passing rate this year. I also enrolled in review classes from Power Development Center, which was really helpful for reinforcing all that we’ve already learned in school,” she said.

Her advice to students is to study well. Don’t take anything for granted. As early as now, absorb knowledge like a sponge. Don’t give up, for there will be trying times and redeeming ones.

Socorro Salvacion Gasco, the dean of the RTRMF-CN, said everyone in the school was in “a state of euphoria” when the  PRC announced Almo’s feat on Friday.

“It was overwhelming,” Gasco said.

The RTRMF officials were knocking on the doors of heaven with Almo. “I was praying that God grant us No. 1.  It was granted,” Gasco said.

The dean said it was the second time for the RTRMF nursing college to top the board exams. The same feat was achieved in 1991 by a student named Marilou Quintana. Gasco said Quintana is now working in the United States.

Gasco described Almo as “a diligent student destined to be No. 1.”

“She really has the potential. She was hardworking, diligent and was always open to criticism and suggestions. She does not sulk. She always listens,” Gasco said.

An indication that Almo was headed to the top was when the review center in Cebu where she prepared for the exams gave her an award for acing all the preboard mock exams.

“She’s a really outstanding child,” Gasco said.

Seeing Almo’s potential, Gasco prayed harder. She also invited Almo’s batchmates to sponsor a weekly Mass. “I told them you already did your best, let God take care of the rest,” she said.

The dean also prayed for God to grant the school a 100-percent passing rate. Technically, it was granted, Gasco said. Almo and her 45 batchmates passed. They were part of the 9,114 passers out of the 18,500 examinees. however, three other exam takers from previous RTRMF batches had joined them. One of the three failed.

“I know we would not get the best-performing school award even if all the takers pass because the law requires at least 50 passers per school. We only had 49 students,” Gasco said. With a report from Gil Cabacungan

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