By: Beca May Pidlao-Palitayan
Last March 7, 2025, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) released the results of the February 2025 Board Licensure Examination for Criminologists. The examination, conducted on February 5-7, 2025 across 29 testing centers nationwide, saw 22,245 out of 36,768 examinees successfully passing, resulting in a national passing rate of 60.50%.
In a notable achievement, criminology graduates of Baguio Central University’s (BCU) significantly outperformed the national average. BCU achieved an impressive overall passing rate of 77.36%, with 41 out of 53 examinees successfully obtaining their professional licenses.
The exceptional performance of BCUs criminology graduates reflects the quality of education and training provided by the University’s College of Criminal Justice Education. First-time takers from BCU demonstrated particular excellence with a passing rate of 78.43%, which stands significantly higher than the national average of 60.5%.
This achievement underscores the dedication of the criminology OIC-Dean, faculty members and OIC-Dean, and the administration in preparing the examinees for professional practice through rigorous academic training and practical exposure to the field. As the saying of Ryunosuke Satoro-regarded as the “Father of the Japanese short story” goes, “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
As the newly licensed criminologists prepare to enter their professional careers, BCU continues its commitment to educational excellence and the empowerment of future criminal justice professionals. The university’s criminology program remains focused on bridging theoretical knowledge with practical applications, ensuring graduates are well-equipped to face the challenges of the criminal justice system. Likewise, the college also adapted best practices such as send off dinner before the 1st day of the board and requesting budget for the meals of the examinees on their first day. This was a collaborative effort among the CCJE Faculty and OIC-Dean, the SGO Officers and the Class Bagsik Lahi Interns.
The success of BCU graduates in this licensure examination serves as a testament to the university’s vision of producing competent, ethical, and service-oriented criminology professionals who will contribute meaningfully to public safety and social justice.
