CEBU, Philippines — Cebu is celebrating another remarkable showing in the country’s nursing licensure examinations after nine graduates from universities in Cebu landed among the Top 10 performers in the August–September 2026 Philippine Nurses Licensure Examination (PNLE).
The feat was reported by Cebu Daily News following the release of the examination results by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on September 18, 2026. Among those identified in the report are Tisha Marie Beatrice Jacobo Duncano of Cebu Normal University (CNU) and Sheena Reena Patayon Oco of Cebu Doctors’ University.
The strong Cebu showing comes as the PRC announced that 28,652 of the 37,359 examinees passed the latest nursing board examination, translating to a 76.69-percent national passing rate. The results of 21 examinees, meanwhile, were withheld pending the final determination of their liabilities under the rules governing licensure examinations.
Cebu puts nine graduates in the national Top 10
The nine Cebu graduates’ appearance in the national Top 10 highlights the continued presence of Cebu-based nursing schools in the country’s professional licensure examinations.
The PRC’s official results recognize the 10 examinees who obtained the highest ratings nationwide. A graduate of the University of Northern Philippines–Vigan emerged as the examination’s highest scorer, according to GMA News’ report on the results.
The Cebu Daily News report identified Duncano of Cebu Normal University and Oco of Cebu Doctors’ University among the Cebu graduates in the elite group. The complete PRC results also confirm Duncano and Oco as successful examinees in the September 18 release.
The result adds another chapter to Cebu’s long record of producing high-performing nursing graduates. Cebu has several established nursing schools and remains one of the country’s major education hubs for aspiring health professionals.
More than 28,000 new nurses pass
Nationwide, the latest PNLE produced 28,652 successful examinees out of 37,359, according to reports citing the PRC.
The examination was conducted at multiple testing centers around the Philippines. Cebu was among the designated examination locations, alongside Metro Manila, Baguio, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Tacloban, Zamboanga and other areas.
The examination schedule was also affected by unfavorable weather. The Region III examinations covering San Fernando, Pampanga, and Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija were rescheduled, while the second day of the examination in the National Capital Region was moved to September 12. Reports attributed the changes to adverse weather conditions and heavy rainfall warnings.
What happens next for the new nurses?
For successful examinees, the next step is the professional registration process.
The PRC said online registration for the issuance of the Professional Identification Card and Certificate of Registration will begin on October 13, 2026. Successful examinees are required to follow the PRC’s online registration procedures and personally complete the registration process and sign the Roster of Registered Professionals.
The schedule and venue for the mass oath-taking ceremony of the new nurses will be announced separately by the PRC.
For Cebu, however, the latest results already provide a reason for celebration: nine graduates from Cebu universities have secured places among the country’s highest-performing nursing examinees, putting the province’s nursing education sector back in the national spotlight.
And with thousands of new nurses entering the profession, the achievement is more than a set of impressive board-exam numbers—it is a new milestone for the graduates, their families and the Cebu institutions that helped prepare them for the profession.
