Leyte science teacher studied from a hillside shelter, tops board exam

Long before her name would be announced as the country’s highest scorer in the March 2026 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) for secondary level, Rashil Rae Recorte had spent her days studying inside a small makeshift shelter on a hillside in Inopacan, Leyte. Mobile signal was just strong enough to keep her connected to class.

Her parents built the shelter on borrowed land near their home during the pandemic. It became more than a place to study, a quiet witness to years of sacrifice, perseverance, and hope. Years later, from that humble hillside space, Rashil rose to the very top of the nation.

Rashil did not only top the LEPT administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC); she earned a remarkable 95.80 percent rating — the highest score in the history of the board exam for high school teachers.

In the quiet barangay of Macagoco in Inopacan, she built her dreams, not on privilege but on persistence.

The eldest of six children of Sarah and Amphil Recorte, Rashil grew up in a household where every peso mattered. Their family lived simply, carefully stretching whatever they had to provide for daily needs. Like many families in rural communities, theirs was sustained through hard work, resilience, and the shared hope that education could one day open doors to a better life.

From an early age, Rashil understood what sacrifice meant.

With a P5 allowance as a child, she would often spend only P2 and save the rest, knowing there were always more urgent needs at home. She walked more than two kilometers to school each day, under the heat of the sun or through sudden rain, carrying books in hand and determination in her heart. Even when the journey was exhausting, missing school was never an option.

Her discipline eventually carried her through years of academic excellence. Rashil graduated valedictorian and consistently earned honors from elementary through senior high school. Alongside her academic achievements came another responsibility she quietly carried: the weight of being the eldest daughter, and with it, the dream of helping lift her family through education.

A beneficiary of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Rashil’s journey reflects the realities of many Filipino students whose ambitions are shaped amid financial uncertainty, yet sustained by grit and family support.

When she entered Visayas State University to pursue a Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd) major in Science, she carried with her not only her own aspirations, but the hopes of an entire household.

Then came the pandemic.

Like millions of students across the country, Rashil suddenly found herself learning from home. But in a remote area where internet connectivity was weak and unstable, online education became another challenge altogether.

Determined to help their daughter continue schooling, her parents worked hard to buy her a cellphone. This is the same device she still keeps today. Rashil initially hesitated to accept it, knowing how much it cost compared to what the family usually spent in a month.

Still, her mother reminded her gently:

“Okay ra, kay worth it man.” (It’s okay, it’s worth it.)

Those words stayed with Rashil.

When the signal inside their home proved too weak for online classes, her parents searched for another solution. On borrowed land near their house, they built a small makeshift shelter on higher ground where the signal was slightly stronger.

It was modest, temporary, and exposed to the elements, but it became her classroom.

Inside that shelter, Rashil attended lectures, joined recitations, took exams, and endured unstable internet connections that often dropped in the middle of class. There were days when the signal disappeared without warning and she lost points during recitations. There were moments of frustration, exhaustion, and uncertainty.

Yet, each day, she returned.

Looking back, Rashil does not remember those moments as hardships alone. They are reminders of how much her family believed in her.

Years later, she would still carry her mother’s words into one of the most important seasons of her life, the board exam review. She wrote them on Post-it notes as quiet motivation while preparing for the licensure exam.

When face-to-face classes resumed during her sophomore year, Rashil moved away from home for the first time.

Living independently brought new challenges, but also growth. Even from afar, her family remained her strongest support system. Her mother constantly checked in through messages, reminding her to eat on time, attend classes, and take care of herself.

With their encouragement, and with support from a scholarship through the Commission on Higher Education, Rashil persevered through college and graduated magna cum laude from VSU.

By then, she had become one of the most promising students in her batch. But the board examination would demand a different kind of discipline.

During her review at Faculan Twins’ Review Center in Tacloban City, where she also earned a scholarship, Rashil consistently posted high scores and eventually emerged as the top reviewee in Eastern Visayas under the center.

Even with strong performances, pressure remained constant.

Whenever anxiety became overwhelming, she sought comfort in quiet visits to churches around Tacloban.

“Ana na time, ma-restore ang peace sa akong heart and mogaan akong gibati and ma-lessen akoa anxiety,” she shared.

Her preparation was steady and disciplined. She reviewed diligently, rested when needed, and trusted the years of hard work that had already prepared her for the moment.

When examination day finally arrived, Rashil remembers feeling calm.

“Thankful ra kaayo ko kay Lord na wala ko gipangunahi sa kahadlok ug calm ra ako nerves,” she recalled.

When the LEPT results were eventually released, Rashil was already working in Cebu. She was at work when she learned that her name stood at the very top of the national rankings.

For a brief moment, disbelief took over.

Then came the call to her parents, the same people who sacrificed their savings to buy her a cellphone, the same people who built a shelter on a hillside so she could catch enough signal to attend class.

This time, tears filled the screen not because life had been difficult but because every sacrifice had led to something beautiful.

Rashil may not have grown up surrounded by wealth or comfort. What she had instead were parents who built dreams from limited means, from borrowed spaces, and from unwavering faith.

And perhaps that is what makes her story unforgettable.

Because long before the PRC announced her name to the nation, Rashil Rae Recorte’s journey had already begun on a Leyte hillside inside a makeshift shelter where the signal came and went, but where hope never did.

Today, her story stands as more than a personal achievement. It is a story of family, faith, and the quiet power of perseverance. It is proof that even from the most humble beginnings, dreams can rise beyond distance, beyond difficulty, and beyond circumstance.

As Rashil herself reflects:

“Dreams are planted there in your heart because somewhere, someone in the universe knows that it’s meant for you. There’s always a reason for everything, every tear shed, every smile, every victory, every failure. Naa jud ta’y kapadulngan tanan basta maningkamot lang ug mosalig sa kahitas-an.” – Rappler.com