Electrical engineering topnotcher credits feat to ‘faith, flag, focus’

The following is a press release from the Technological Institute of the Philippines.

Ranking fourth out of the 3,339 hopefuls in the April 2023 Electrical Engineering board exams has filled newly-registered Engineer Bernard Vic Senillo with an overwhelming sense of “joy and gratitude” which he extended to God and the nation that helped him reach the milestone. 

Senillo was a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) scholar, who graduated magna cum laude from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) Quezon City in 2022. He said je wants to serve the country and pursue teaching, so he can help develop more future engineers. 

“I am so grateful that God really answered my prayers. I feel happy because all my hardships and trials from college and up to the review period finally paid off,” said Senillo, who plans to take postgraduate studies in electrical engineering as soon as he lands a job. 

Like other DOST scholars, Senillo is not entertaining thoughts of working abroad. He prefers to stay in the Philippines and contribute to its electrical engineering industry. The TIP alumnus has been applying to local companies to start a professional career. 

“My first choice is to teach…. But I want to finish my master’s degree first. My main goal in pursuing a career in the academe is to instill [in the minds of] students as early [as possible] that they should love the electrical engineering field,” Senillo said.

Should he receive an opportunity to work in the energy industry, the young engineer said one of the things he would like to improve on is the generation of electricity. He supports policy shifts towards renewable energy to cut power rates and achieve a “sustainable future.”

“To some, it (renewable energy) is unreliable for now, but through continuous research, we have the technology already, so we can do further studies. That’s why we have electrical engineers to help in improving [our] renewable energy [sector],” Senillo said. 

The Leyte native has been an achiever for much of his student life. He excelled not only in academics, but also in off-campus school competitions. When asked to share some of his strategies to future licensure examinees, Senillo repeatedly mentioned the word “focus.”

One of the things he eliminated from his life when he was reviewing for the board exams was social media. He also cited self-discipline to keep himself motivated and also to reduce negative thoughts that would lead to feelings of self-doubt and anxiety. 

“When you have the discipline, you will wake up each day and do your routine. You need to focus on your goal. Also, my advice to other students is they need to believe in themselves and they have to pray,” Senillo said. 

Senillo encouraged aspiring engineers to keep practicing through their studies despite the struggles. He said they need to take the review process seriously because it will train them to solve problems “as fast as possible” on a consistent basis. 

“Your dreams should be bigger than your fears. You need to stay focused, disciplined, pray… But, at the same time, enjoy and trust the process. Eventually, you will succeed,” the young engineer advised. 

– Rappler.com