By Dhel Sue Cabiara
Backed by curriculum-focused academic preparation for its graduates, several Silliman University (SU) programs achieved record-high passing rates in the 2025 licensure examinations.
Programs such as psychology, agriculture, nursing, physical therapy, education, pharmacy, medical technology, and medicine recorded over 80-percent passing rates in the 2025 Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) board examinations.
The College of Nursing (CON) maintained its 100-percent passing rate performance since 2014 with three topnotchers during the November 2025 Philippine Nursing Licensure Examinations (PNLE).
According to CON Dean Dr. Theorose Bustillo, they followed the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) system from 2018 to 2019 to prepare for the exams.
The OBE is a student-centered and competency-focused curriculum mandated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), focusing on critical thinking and prioritization rather than pure recall.
The 2025 PNLE, in addition, implemented the OBE type of exam with questions based on the CHED Memorandum Order No. 15, series of 2017, emphasizing learner-centered instruction, application, and critical thinking.
Meanwhile, Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences (IRS) Dean Dr. Paolo Manuel Jimenez highlighted faculty collaboration in curriculum and syllabi implementation.
“We do constant review, constant relations, constant research on what works, what’s out there, and what’s new,” Jimenez said.
The IRS produced 72 newly-licensed physical therapists with one topnotcher during the December 2025 licensure examination, logging a 97.3-percent passing rate and placing SU second among the country’s top-performing schools in the 50–99 takers category.
According to Jimenez, they implemented a clinical internship program, and mock exams and reviews to simulate the licensure examinations.
“We don’t have [a] post-graduation reviewing house but we do, for a whole year, prepare them through the subjects when they take a lot of exams,” he said.
Jimenez added that they want IRS to be more exposed and expand partnerships with other Physical Therapy schools locally and internationally.
The College of Education (COE) also recorded a 90-percent passing rate in Bachelor in Elementary Education and 97.93-percent for Bachelor of Secondary Education, producing a total of 64 licensed teachers.
COE Dean Dr. Gina Bonior shared that there is a notable improvement in their passing rates.
“Compared to earlier years, SU has consistently produced high passers, maintaining indicators of stability rather than a decline in quality,” she said.
Meanwhile, the SU College of Agriculture achieved a passing rate of 92.59-percent during the November 2025 Agriculturist Licensure Examination, producing 25 professionals.
The medical technology program also produced 86 registered medical technologists while the psychology department has 82 new licensed psychometricians and 10 psychologists.
