19/01/2026
“I WANT TO BELIEVE DEEPLY IN MYSELF, BECAUSE WE ARE FAR MORE CAPABLE THAN WE IMAGINE.”
Some triumphs are forged not in classrooms, but in hospital beds, where survival itself becomes the ultimate examination.
For King Nixon C. Mabanta, emerging as Top 1 in the June 2025 Architect Licensure Examination (ALE) was more than an academic victory—it was a declaration of life reclaimed.
In January 2022, Mabanta had a simple goal: take the ALE that June and achieve the profession he had long pursued. Encouraged by a friend, he enrolled in a review center, cautiously optimistic that structured preparation would sharpen his chances.
But in February 2022, his plans collapsed. Doctors diagnosed him with a severe illness that left him bedridden for nearly nine months.
“No reviews, no mock boards, no final coaching—my priority was my health,” he recalled, as the focus shifted from ambition to survival. Weeks of uncertainty tested both body and spirit. Pain consumed him, inflammation crippled his movements, and even standing briefly was impossible.
“We simply accepted my imminent death,” Mabanta said, recalling a period when hope seemed unrealistic. In despair, he discarded his study materials, questioning the point of preparation when tomorrow was uncertain.
By December 2022, recovery began, and with it came resolve. He boldly returned to academics, choosing to take the February 2023 Master Plumber Licensure Examination (MPLE) through self-study alone, as no review centers were available. Against all odds, he passed and clinched Top 2 in MPLE, proving that resilience can outpace illness.
Even while still regaining strength, Mabanta resumed apprenticeship work in March 2023, rebuilding routine, confidence, and focus. By 2024, his intellectual fire reignited—he conducted research, wrote books, and delved into applied mathematics, the field closest to his heart.
In December 2024, he quietly began preparing for the June 2025 ALE. Skipping formal reviews, he balanced six hours of research with two hours of disciplined study each day.
“My research is everything to me,” he said, describing the anchor that kept his mind sharp and steady.
When exam day arrived, doubt inevitably crept in. Yet he pressed on, trusting the process he had meticulously built in solitude, when no one else believed in the possibility of success.
Mabanta’s Top 1 finish was not only an academic achievement, but a testament that mortality does not define destiny.
“We all bloom at the proper moment,” he reflected, framing patience as the quiet partner of perseverance.
Now bearing the title of Architect, King Nixon C. Mabanta tells future examinees to trust in their own capabilities—because they are far stronger than they realize.
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This story originally appeared on PRC Board News. Graphics and edits by Destination PH.
