Who would have thought that a college as young as 5 years in existence and fresh from turning out its first batch of graduates would make it to the top-performing schools in the country in terms of passing a national board examination? And who would have imagined that it would land second in the regional ranking with 30 or more examinees?
It is very unlikely, yet Burauen Community College (BCC), a five-year-old college in the heart of Leyte province, made it after the outcome of the recently conducted 2024 Licensure Examination for Criminologists was officially announced. Offering BS Criminology as one of its flagship programs, the college just turned out its pioneering graduates who, recently, took the said examination and yielded such impressive results.
The implications of this young college’s achievement are awesome. It ranked 22nd at the national level, among colleges and universities with 50 or more test takers—that’s out of more or less 223 schools with similar examinees. At the regional level ranking, BCC ranked 2nd out of 15 schools with 30 or more examinees, besting other schools that have had years and decades of operation. It’s indeed remarkable! Almost making it to the top.
This young institution of learning traces itself to a humble beginning. But it started as a vision—the vision of a vibrant, flourishing community college that courageously but tactfully takes on the menacing challenges of the times. Conceived by the visionary leader, Hon. Mayor Juanito E. Renomeron, this vision spread like wildfire and immediately saw the light of day on February 12, 2018, through Municipal Order No. 2018-024.
Recognized on January 29, 2019, as a local community college per Certificate of Authority 039-2019 issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), BCC started with 5 classrooms, offering BS Criminology, BS Accountancy, and BS Management Accounting with the first college president, the late Dr. Jay P. Cabrera. Back then, 546 students comprised the first batch for the first academic year. With the advent of the pandemic in 2020, BCC resorted to blended learning and modality. The following year, two (2) degree programs were added, namely: BS Public Administration and BS Industrial Security Management.
From its old location in LGU Burauen Compound, BCC transferred in 2022 to its present location in Burauen Sports Complex, with its first two buildings—the Criminology and Administration Buildings. With the passing of the first College President, Atty. Absalon G. Apostol took over as the second albeit OIC College President. Two more equally grandiose buildings and a multi-purpose one proudly emerged, besting the looks of other colleges/universities elsewhere. Just last year, Dr. Jett C. Quebec, another visionary leader, was appointed as the new College Administrator, who plans to add two (2) more degree programs and four (4) vocational courses.
With BCC’s rise to greatness, and with the impressive results exhibited by its first board examinees, we can only attribute all these to the untiring efforts of the men and women behind this initial success. Foremost credits go to the good Mayor and his Office, then to the SB members, LGU departments, the BCC Management, Faculty and Staff, the students, and the entire BCC community. Also worth commending are the cooperating and partner government agencies such as the CHED RO 8, PRC 8, PSA, and others.
Congratulations then to the successful examinees with their parents, the LGU Burauen and its people, the BCC Management and Community, and the Criminology Department consisting of its dean and energetic faculty whose direct supervision and guidance partly made this initial salvo of success possible! Keep up the great job! Mabuhay!
