USM Engages in National Climate Adaptation Talks
December 17, 2025
Richard A. Camato made his mark in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Licensure Examination (ABELE) after earning an 87.56% rating and placing Rank 10 among the top examinees nationwide. For him, the result was more than just a number. It was proof that years of effort, patience, and belief paid off.
Behind this achievement is a young man from Lampagang, Tulunan, North Cotabato. Richard grew up in a simple family. His parents, who are farmers, worked the land to support their four children. Life was not easy, as he said, especially when three of them were studying in college at the same time. Richard shared that here were moments when his siblings felt like giving up, but their parents kept pushing forward, doing everything they could to help their children finish school.
When preparing for the licensure exam, Richard did not rely on shortcuts. As early as his third year in college, he began organizing his lessons in his mind. From first year up to his fifth year in college, he slowly built his understanding of the subjects.
Interestingly, Richard did not use online notes or printed reviewers, as he shared. He focused on remembering concepts so that during review time, he only needed to recall them, not read everything again. He mentioned during the interview that he had no secret at all—only steady learning.
He also pointed out that the foundation he received from the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) played a big role in his success. Even if he did not always get high grades, he made sure to take the theories seriously. This helped him build confidence, especially during his mock board exams, where he already passed all areas in his first assessment.
When the actual board exam came, Richard said that he felt confident on the first day. On the second day, however, he realized some mistakes in his answers. With three major areas and twelve specializations, he knew the exam was tough. Still, he trusted his preparation and remained hopeful.
Richard, a scholar of the Provincial Government of Cotabato, said that his biggest motivations to top the exam was his parents. His inspiration was the thought that topnotchers would have a special seat during the oath-taking ceremony, along with their parents. That simple idea pushed him to do his best. His parents have always been his strength and reason for moving forward.
When the results were released and his parents found out that he ranked among the topnotchers, they could not hold back their tears. They stayed awake until dawn, still in disbelief that their son made it. For Richard, that moment was more meaningful than any award.
Now that he has passed and ranked in the exam, Richard feels more driven to give back to his family, especially to his parents who sacrificed so much. He received a ₱50,000 incentive from USM for his board exam ranking. The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering also received a ₱20,000 incentive after USM placed fourth among the top-performing schools nationwide.
Outside academics, Richard enjoys playing billiards, a hobby he is deeply passionate about and uses to relax.
For future ABELE takers, Richard advised taking both coursework and review seriously. If given the chance to start again, he said he would focus more on the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standards (PAES) and major subjects, as these provide a strong base for the board exam. For him, success is built little by little—through effort, focus, and gratitude for the people who never gave up on you.
