13/09/2026
[JOSENIANS MOVING FORWARD]
Proof of Concept
by Kimberly Capuyan | FORWARD Staff Writer & Ziven Neci Fabe | FORWARD Probationary Writer
From the first page to the last, an encyclopedia holds a world of principles and possibilities waiting to be discovered.
For Bernardito Jose Laurente, that exchange between knowing and wondering led him toward one question: how far could his curiosity take him?
That question followed him into a life of learning and teaching, carrying him through the moments that would eventually put his own name on a page of significance.
Curious by Nature
Growing up in Oslob, Cebu, Laurente came from a family of farmers and fishermen, with his father working as a laborer and his mother staying home to raise him. With no Wi-Fi and no television, he found a world beyond the mountains through his family’s books.
“Most of the time, we actually just spent on reading encyclopedias...and I actually loved to read as well,” Laurente recalled.
His parents continuously nurtured that spark, reminding him that he had the potential to achieve more. Beyond the pages, it was the educators around him who shaped his calling.
In high school, he began tutoring classmates and leading study groups, realizing early on that teaching came naturally to him.
“There were also some very, very good people that were influencing me—my past teachers. I looked up to them and said to myself, I want to become like them,” he reflected.
Though his parents initially hesitated about him taking up education, they eventually saw how the path transformed him, giving his decision their full support.
Built on Grit
Laurente’s college years at the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) reached a climax during his final year, when academic demands, research, and On-The-Job training (OJT) collided.
Waking up before 5 a.m. for public school teaching demonstrations, managing classrooms until the afternoon, attending classes, and staying up late for research pushed his limits.
“I think the hardest part of being a teacher is actually the preparation,” he shared.
There was even a moment when he doubted if he would graduate on time or if teaching was truly meant for him.
Yet, he chose to stay on course.
“I took it personally as a way to improve rather than as a way to give up,” he recalled.
That mindset was strengthened by his experience at USJ-R, where supportive professors and people around him saw potential he could not always see in himself.
“I’m happy to say that I really am a product of different people, of very, very extraordinary people,” he reflected.
When the board exam results were released, he didn’t even know it was result day. It was his former college juniors who broke the news to him. Thinking they were joking, he opened the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) portal himself.
“The website was very crowded. I could really feel my heart thumping,” Laurente recalled.
Seeing his name at Rank 10 felt entirely surreal—especially after months of juggling full-time teaching duties, lesson plans, and weekend review classes.
“I was not expecting to be a topnotcher because I was working while reviewing. When I saw my name, it felt like a dream…but it was right there,” he admitted.
Soon after, a large tarpaulin was hung outside their home in Oslob to celebrate his success.
“As a son who came from a simple, meager family, it brought so much pride,” he said.
“I can make my parents feel that way—that they have something to boast about to our relatives and in our community. That really made me very, very happy,” he added.
More Than Knowledge
Placing in the top ten nationwide is a monumental milestone, but for Laurente, a license rating does not define a true educator.
“The board exam for teachers doesn’t really measure your character; it only measures your knowledge,” he shared.
“Although I am very happy and proud, it didn’t change the way I teach my students, because for me, character is more important than knowledge,” he added.
His choice to major in Science stems back to those early days reading encyclopedias and gazing at the horizon, curious about how the world works.
But as he stands before his own students today, he aims to impart something far deeper than textbook facts.
“As a science teacher, it’s our duty to inspire students, to make them curious about the world,” Laurente explained.
“I want to be remembered as someone who gave students that trait of curiosity—not just someone who taught them that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, but a teacher who gave them something they can carry for the rest of their lives,” he added.
Looking back on his journey from a quiet, book-loving boy in Oslob to an inspiring LET topnotcher, Laurente describes the entire experience in just one word: “glorious.”
“Everything—all the hardships, all the hard work—was worth it,” he reflected. “And it felt very glorious to me.”
From a modest home surrounded by encyclopedias to standing among the nation’s top educators, Laurente proves that when innate curiosity meets unyielding grit, the outcome is nothing short of extraordinary.
Visuals by Andrea Kim Derama | FORWARD Probationary Artist
![[FLASH FORWARD]With Prelims in sight and rain clouds hanging over campus, Josenians are finding their own ways to weathe...](https://img3.medioq.com/324/186/1589005403241868.jpg)
![[JOSENIANS MOVING FORWARD]Proof of Conceptby Kimberly Capuyan | FORWARD Staff Writer & Ziven Neci Fabe | FORWARD Probati...](https://img5.medioq.com/356/891/1585734963568912.jpg)
