18/09/2026
𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐑 | The Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology (CFCST) achieved a historic milestone in the September 2026 Social Workers Licensure Examination (SWLE), recording its highest passing rate and highest number of passers since the college began fielding examinees in 2012.
CFCST produced 181 newly registered social workers out of 230 examinees, posting an overall passing rate of 78.70%, surpassing the 76.06% national passing rate.
The latest performance also improved from CFCST’s 74.68% passing rate in 2025, marking another significant gain for the college’s Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) program. Of the 230 examinees, 154 of 181 first-time takers passed, registering an 80.63% passing rate, while 27 of 39 repeaters passed, equivalent to a 69.23% passing rate.
The 181 successful examinees also surpassed the previous record of 174 passers in 2025, making the September 2026 results the highest number of successful CFCST Social Work examinees in a single licensure examination.
For College of Arts and Sciences Dean Charima Mentoc, the achievement reflects the collective efforts of the faculty and students in preparing for the licensure examination.
“𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴,” Mentoc said. She emphasized that while the latest results are a source of pride, the achievement also challenges the department to further strengthen its preparation and support for future examinees.
“𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦,” she said.
Meanwhile, Social Work Department Program Head Abegail D. Palao described the results as a source of pride and motivation for the department, particularly after CFCST surpassed the national passing rate.
“𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳’𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘊𝘍𝘊𝘚𝘛 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦,” Palao said. Palao said the department aims not only to sustain its current performance but also to further increase its passing rate in the coming years.
“𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘱𝘢, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘯𝘢,” she added.
The department’s Enhancement Team also attributed the results to the intensive preparation undertaken by the examinees. According to Enhancement Coordinator Zaira L. Esmeralda, the department maintained strict standards in its enhancement classes and invited qualified lecturers, including board topnotchers, to help prepare and motivate the examinees during the three-month intensive review. However, Esmeralda emphasized that the preparation provided by the college could only complement the commitment and determination of the examinees.
“𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘴,” Esmeralda said, underscoring the hard work, discipline, and determination demonstrated by the students throughout their preparation.
Rea Joy Dalumatan, BS in Social Work Batch 2026 - Magna Cum Laude, described the achievement as more than simply passing a board examination, calling it a testimony of faith and perseverance.
“𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵, 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵,” Dalumatan said.
Dalumatan also expressed pride in being a product of CFCST and recalled a personal prayer that the institution would one day be proud of the accomplishments of Batch 2026.
The latest results continue a steady upward trend in the performance of the CFCST Social Work program. The college recorded 30 passers in 2022, equivalent to a 34.09% passing rate; 55 passers in 2023 (39.29%); 76 in 2024 (54.68%); 174 in 2025; and 181 in 2026.
With this year’s results, CFCST has now produced a total of 576 licensed social workers since it began fielding examinees in 2012. The BSSW program, first offered by CFCST in 2008, continues to prepare graduates for professional social work practice and contribute to the growing social work workforce.
The September 2026 SWLE was administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) from September 9 to 11, 2026, at testing centers nationwide.
The latest board examination performance highlights the continuing development of CFCST’s Social Work program, with its newest batch of registered social workers now poised to contribute to communities through professional, compassionate, and responsive social work practice.
Congratulations to the 181 newly registered social workers of CFCST!
𝘊𝘍𝘊𝘚𝘛 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘍𝘊𝘚𝘛-𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘰 𝘌𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 67 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 181 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘓𝘌𝘚𝘞 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘠𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘻𝘢 𝘎. 𝘒𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢 𝘒. 𝘜𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯.
