Former SunStar Cebu content editor Mary Joyce Villaflor, 29, emerged as the only passer from Cebu and placed among the Top 5 nationwide in the 2026 Special Professional Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (SPLE-PT). Official results released on July 2, 2026, confirmed her achievement, fulfilling her mother's long-standing dream and inspiring Villaflor to encourage other aspiring educators to find their purpose.
Unexpected Path to Teaching
Villaflor, who once believed teaching was never meant for her, never imagined becoming one of the country's top-performing newly licensed teachers. At the time, she was working full-time as a teacher in Taiwan, where she also took the examination.
“Never, wala jud ko nag-expect, even like pursuing this path nga mag-teach, never jud ever (Never. I never expected it. I never even imagined that I would end up pursuing a career in teaching),” Villaflor said. Her mother, who worked at the College of Teacher Education of Cebu Normal University (CNU), had long encouraged her to become a teacher. “So my mom is a frustrated teacher. Sige jud ko niyag convince since elementary pako nga mag-teacher (My mom dreamed of becoming a teacher but never had the chance. She had been encouraging me to become a teacher since I was in elementary school).”
Shifting Careers and Moving to Taiwan
But Villaflor chose a different path. She initially enrolled in nursing at CNU but realized after two years that the profession was not for her. “I know it for myself nga dili jud para nako ang nursing (I knew for myself that nursing really wasn’t for me),” she said. She later shifted to Mass Communication, majoring in Media, at St. Theresa’s College, and began her career at SunStar Cebu as a social media specialist before becoming a content editor.
Always eager to challenge herself, Villaflor accepted a scholarship in 2019 to pursue a Master of Business Administration in Taiwan. “I just took the risk then tried it out,” she recalled. While finishing her master’s degree, she worked as a marketing coordinator for a software startup. But after experiencing burnout and homesickness during the pandemic, she decided it was time to return to the Philippines. Before leaving, however, a friend encouraged her to apply for a teaching position at a local school. She initially turned down the opportunity but eventually accepted after being interviewed.
Finding Purpose in Teaching
That unexpected decision changed everything. “While teaching in the school, I felt like I have a purpose,” she said. Seeing her students learn each day inspired Villaflor to pursue a professional teaching license. To qualify for the SPLE-PT, she completed the required 18 education units online through Cebu Technological University while continuing to teach full-time in Taiwan.
Balancing work and exam preparation was challenging. Although she enrolled in online review classes, she relied mostly on self-review. Despite months of preparation, Villaflor found the examination difficult. “So after the exam, the first I did is nihilak jud ko. Nakaingon kog, ‘I feel defeated’ (After the exam, the first thing I did was cry. I remember telling myself, ‘I feel defeated’).” Still, she never prayed to become a topnotcher. Instead, she simply asked God to guide her and help her pass. “Lord I am just really asking for You to be with me in this journey. I’m not expecting nga mu-top ko (Lord, I’m just really asking You to be with me throughout this journey. I’m not expecting to place among the top examinees),” she said.
A Sweet Surprise
When the results were released on July 2, Villaflor went to church in Taiwan to pray while waiting. A short while later, her brother sent her a screenshot of the official results. She had not only passed but had placed among the Top 5 nationwide. The achievement was especially meaningful for her mother, whose dream of seeing her daughter become a teacher had finally come true.
Looking back, Villaflor said her success was never about being naturally gifted. Now, she hopes her story will inspire aspiring teachers, fellow Cebuanos, and overseas Filipino workers who are pursuing their own dreams. “For aspiring teachers, just do your best and don’t stop learning. Find your purpose. If you can’t find your purpose, make your own purpose,” Villaflor said. For Villaflor, the profession she once rejected became the purpose she never knew she had been searching for all along.
