Filipino Librarian

LLE: The Best and Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2025 - 3

In the second part of this series, I wrote that the LIS schools whose graduates took the Librarian Licensure Examination (LLE) from 2007 to 2025 were divided arbitrarily (so don't ask me to justify it hehe) into four groups:

Division 1, those with 101 or more first-time examinees over the entire period of 18 years
Division 2, those with 11 to 100
Division 3, those with 1 to 10
Division 4, those with no first-timers (because all their examinees were repeaters)

In this post, I will offer some observations about the Top 10 from Division 2, which has 57 schools (out of 280), but with more than 29% of first-time examinees (or 2,363 out of 8,135).

ALL of the Top 10 schools in Division 2 are located OUTSIDE Metro Manila: 5 from Luzon, 1 from the Visayas, and 4 from Mindanao. They rarely have more than 5 examinees every year, but their alumni have at least an 80% chance of passing the LLE.
The Top 2—Notre Dame of Dadiangas University (NDDU) in South Cotabato and Saint Louis University (SLU) in Baguio—are even better. 44 of 45 NDDU first-timers passed in 14 years, and 68 of 70 SLU first-timers passed in 13 years. Almost 100%! They may have fewer graduates, but they train them well.
Special mention goes to University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City & Cagayan State University in Tuguegarao because their LIS programs seem to have started only recently, but the quantity and quality of their first-timers since 2023 have been stellar! I hope their numbers continue to grow.
Sadly, 4 of the schools in the Top 10 of Division 2 have only had 2, 1, or even 0 students take the LLE in the last 5 years. It looks like they were adversely affected by the pandemic.
Finally, the preponderance of provincial schools in Divisions 1 AND 2 reminds me of something that the #NationalNonLibrarian once said at a budget meeting presided by a congresswoman from the House of Representatives, “Yung mga nasa probinsya po, wala talagang course na nag-ooffer ng librarianship doon.” Don’t me!

My next post will examine Divisions 3 and 4, and why I will not be sharing any list of the worst schools. But allow me to repeat—again—what I wrote in "The Best and the Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2009":

Why am I doing this? There is very little information available to students regarding the quality of LIS schools, and it is my hope that this effort of mine can provoke more detailed studies. Plus, if even one prospective LIS student looks at these tables and decides to go to one school, instead of another, then the time I've spent on this would have been worth it.

Note: The data used for this post are from the PRC press releases about the LLE results from 2007 to 2025.

LLE: The Best and Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2025 - 2

Labels: Licensed Librarians

DIVISION 1

Schools with 101 or more first-time examinees

The LIS schools whose graduates took the Librarian Licensure Examination (LLE) from 2007 to 2025 were divided arbitrarily (so don't ask me to justify it hehe) into four groups:

Division 1, those with 101 or more first-time examinees over the entire period of 18 years
Division 2, those with 11 to 100
Division 3, those with 1 to 10
Division 4, those with no first-timers (because all their examinees were repeaters)

In this post, I will offer some observations about the Top 10 from Division 1, which has 24 schools (out of 280), but with more than 67% of first-time examinees (or 5,476 out of 8,135).

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) usually enumerates the top performing schools following the release of a particular year's LLE results. The minimum number of examinees from a school to justify inclusion on the list varies (from 5 to 50!), but the passing percentage is always 80%. If I were to follow PRC's lead, only 3 schools would be in the list above. But since Top 10 looks better to me, we have more schools to discuss =)
No one, I hope, was surprised to see University of the Philippines (UP) at the top of the list. It seems that any UP grad who takes the LLE is almost guaranteed to pass in any given year. In 2007, I wrote, "What does UP have that other schools don't? Could it have something to do with the admission process? Or maybe many—most?—of the [LIS] schools don't really have enough faculty, facilities, or funding to adequately cater to the needs of their students?" Or both? No one has yet offered an answer. (Disclosure: My MLIS is from UP.)
Eight out of 10 graduates from the Top 2 and 3 schools—Philippine Normal University (PNU) and University of Santo Tomas (UST)—are likely to pass the LLE. If you're a betting person, those are good odds. These two schools, along with UP, are among the oldest educational institutions in the Philippines, and that's probably why they're in the Top 3 (because they must have good faculty and more than enough resources to survive for so long). All 3 are also in Metro Manila, but could that be part of the reason they produce so many LLE passers?
Nope. Seven of the Top 10 schools are located outside Metro Manila: 4 from Luzon, 2 from the Visayas (Cebu, specifically), and 1 from Mindanao (Davao del Sur). Benguet State University (BSU) - La Trinidad is particularly impressive because I didn't know they had that many LIS grads taking the LLE. Almost as many as UP. Who knows, BSU might just move up the list given more time =)
Finally, in case you didn't notice, there is a column in the table for "YEARS." I added this column because the reality is that most LIS schools don't have grads who can take the LLE every year. So I was pleasantly surprised to see City College of Calapan (CCC) in the Top 10. While all the others had 16, 17, or 18 years, CCC had 8! And not because there were years when none of their grads took the exam. Their alumni started taking the LLE in 2016, but they've already consistently ranked higher than other schools of similar size or larger, but with more decades of LLE experience. It would be interesting to know how they did it. Other LIS schools might benefit from listening to their story.

My next post will examine Division 2 more closely. But allow me to repeat what I wrote in "The Best and the Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2009":

Why am I doing this? There is very little information available to students regarding the quality of LIS schools, and it is my hope that this effort of mine can provoke more detailed studies. Plus, if even one prospective LIS student looks at these tables and decides to go to one school, instead of another, then the time I've spent on this would have been worth it.

Note: The data used for this post are from the PRC press releases about the LLE results from 2007 to 2025.

LLE: The Best and Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2025 - 1

Labels: Licensed Librarians

In 2010, I wrote in "The Best and the Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2009" that

There are many ways of determining the "best" and the "worst." For this unofficial ranking, the best and worst library and information science (LIS) schools in the Philippines may be identified using the aggregate passing rates for each school whose graduates took the Librarians' Licensure Examination [LLE] for the first time in 2007, 2008 and 2009, the only years for which detailed results per school are available.

Now, 16 years later, this ranking remains unofficial (hehe) and it will continue to rely on the the aggregate passing rates for each school, but this time from 2007 to 2025. There is much more to be said now than before, so this will be spread out over a series of posts. Today we begin with the number of LIS schools whose graduates took the LLE for the first time over almost two decades.

Just by looking at the graph, it's fairly easy to see that the number of schools has been between 80 and 90 for most of the period covered, if we are talking about Total Examinees, and that this number goes down to between 50 and 70 for the same period, if we limit discussion to First Timers. The exceptions are the period before 2010 (when a significant number of examinees tried to beat the deadline for those who did not finish LIS degrees), 2020 (when there were no exams due to COVID), and 2021 (when there was still a lot of apprehension due to COVID).

Why is the number of LIS schools over the period covered important? Because this tells us that they have increased in number slowly from 2010 onward, and this is also the reason for the increase in first-time examinees. There are, of course, some schools with more than 20 alumni who take the LLE for the first time every year, but the great majority do not usually have an examinee every year, not even a repeater. This will become clearer when I share the table of schools with their passing rates for each of the past 18 years.

Note: The data used for this post are from the PRC press releases about the LLE results from 2007 to 2025.

Outstanding Librarian 2025: Easter B. Wahayna

Labels: Librarians: Awardees

Easter B. Wahayna

The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Easter B. Wahayna on 6 September 2025. The citation reads:

For her exceptional contributions to the field of librarianship, particularly in transforming the Baguio City Public Library (BCPL) into a vibrant community resource focused on lifelong learning and engagement. She implemented various programs in reading, media literacy, creative arts, and local heritage preservation, while also supporting barangay reading centers and advocating for the BCPL modernization ordinance. Her efforts have been recognized with several awards, including the 2025 outstanding woman leader of Baguio City and multiple accolades for excellence in librarianship. Additionally, she actively participates in professional associations, further underscoring her commitment to the profession.

Source: PRC

Outstanding Librarian 2024: Annabelle P. Acedera

Labels: Librarians: Awardees

Annabelle P. Acedera

The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Annabelle P. Acedera on 2 August 2024. The citation reads:

Annabelle P. Acedera has been a practicing librarian and a library educator for more than 5 decades and is considered as one of the pride and pillars in the field of Librarianship in Mindanao. She is also regarded as a mother and a mentor, and her LIS students have become successful in their careers as librarians. With her exemplary leadership, dedication, and commitment to uplifting the LIS profession, she founded the Academic Libraries Information Network, a resource-sharing program, in 1988, and expanded her network and linkages when she was elected president of the Academic Libraries Book Acquisitions Systems Association in 1993. Her wealth of knowledge and expertise was not just felt in the school where she was working but also reached librarians and libraries outside Mindanao. Mrs. Acedera has been active in terms of professional activities conducted by various organizations. This is evident in the various positions to which she has been elected, particularly in local, regional, national, and international organizations from 1994 up to 2023.

Thanks to Stephen Alayon for the citation and Annabelle Acedera for the photo.

Outstanding Librarian 2023: Blesila P. Velasco

Labels: Librarians: Awardees

Blesila P. Velasco

The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Blesila P. Velasco on 10 December 2023. The citation (condensed by me) reads:

Serving for more than two decades in the library and information science field, this public servant, professional teacher, and librarian specializes in public librarianship, with an interest in project management. While working at the National Library of the Philippines (NLP), she chaired several projects, both international and national projects from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Asia Foundation, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grants. She was one of the Innovators of the International Network of Emerging Library Innovators. Right after, she became the project director of the International Network of Emerging Library Innovators – Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the first president of ASEAN Public Libraries Information Network. She also became the idea originator and team leader of the Network of Emerging Filipino Library Innovators Cohorts 1 and 2.

As Public Libraries Division Chief of NLP, she has provided technical assistance to numerous public libraries/local government units in 51 provinces in the country, specifically more than a hundred public libraries monitored and inspected and provided inputs for their further development, 342 public libraries established/affiliated with NLP, and thousands of librarians and public library personnel were trained, and several training, seminars, and similar activities were designed and undertaken.

Outside work hours, she extends her time for the consultations and guidance of public libraries, is an active member of national library associations, and has chaired several committees in NLP, LIS Month in 2019, NBW in 2020, etc. Some of her initiatives are the Philippine Public Libraries Leadership Conversations which consists of 5 committees to work on the public library as an indicator of the Seal of Good Local Governance and Plantilla positions in public libraries, amendments of RA 7743, competencies of public librarians, revision of the Standards for Philippine Public Libraries, and departmentalization of public libraries; pioneered the webinars and online learning for public library personnel.
Source: PRC

Outstanding Librarian 2022: Juan C. Buenrostro, Jr.

Labels: Librarians: Awardees

Juan C. Buenrostro, Jr.

The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Juan C. Buenrostro, Jr. on 29 July 2022. The citation reads:

For his distinguished contribution in the field of Librarianship, his exemplary service in the profession such as the initiation and implementation of projects that significantly helped and improved the state of LIS education and practice in the Philippines, his expertise also contributed in the evaluation and revision of librarianship curricula of various reputable academic institutions such as the University of the Philippines, University of the East, and Baliuag University, and his active involvement in the continuing professional education of librarians being a member in the technical groups and committees created under CHED and PRC. He also published several books and series of licensure examination reviewers for librarians, all these show his commitment and professionalism in his field.
His competence, excellence, and commendable track record have earned him various awards and recognitions over the years, such as CODHILS Certificate of Recognition for Writing Textbooks for LIS Courses, PLAI and PATLS National Award of Recognition, UE Outstanding Teacher Award and Outstanding Faculty Evaluation Rating, BU Certificate of Recognition for “Highest Ranking,” and Gawad Parangal sa mga Retirado from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2016.
His membership and incumbency in major librarianship associations gained him his executive portfolio such as becoming the President of PATLS, Founding President of the Central Luzon Library Association, and spearheading the expansion of the student library assistantship and scholarship program at Baliuag University. He is also a lifetime member of Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. His relentless dedication to the aforesaid organizations is a testament of his outstanding career.

Source: PRC

Outstanding Librarian 2021: Marianita D. Dablio

Labels: Librarians: Awardees

Marianita D. Dablio

The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Marianita D. Dablio on 15 November 2021. The citation reads:

Marianita D. Dablio demonstrated exemplary service as Founding Chair, Department of Library and Information Science. With her commitment and professionalism she earned various awards and recognition such as PLAI Natatanging Laybraryan sa Mindanao; UPLSAA Distinguished Alumni Award, UPLSAA 50 Outstanding Alumni, MSU Loyalty Award, Presidential Merit, and Certificate of Commendation; Presidential Plaque of Recognition, Mindanao Librarians and Libraries Association, 2004; MISORLA Service Award. She was the President of the Mindanao libraries and Librarians Association, Office of MISORLA, member of the PAARL and UP Alumni - MSU Chapter, Assistant Secretary and Vice-Chair of the NCCA-NCLIS and accreditor of AACUP and PLAI and the Philippine Lirbrarians Associaation, and PLI-ARMMLC. Her professional dedication to professional organizations in her field is a testament of her outstanding career.

Source: PRC

In 2016, Dr. Dablio received the Distinguished Alumna Award from the UPLSAA. This was her Response.

LLE: First-timers and Repeaters, 2007-2025

Labels: Licensed Librarians

The most basic question answered by the annual Librarians' Licensure Examination (LLE) administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is: Did I—or someone I know—pass or fail? If a person who takes the exam for the first time passes, this question will not be asked again. But if a person fails and decides to take the exam again, then this question may be asked multiple times until the person passes or gives up.

The more important question for me—and for the profession, in my opinion—is: What do the statistics tell us about the education that LIS students are receiving? The annual passing rate can be used to answer this question, but it's actually not the best gauge of the learning that has taken place. (And yes, "learning" and "passing a test" are not exactly the same, but let's leave that discussion for another day.) I believe it's better to look at the passing rates for first-timers and repeaters separately, if we are to gain a better understanding of the state of LIS education.

No. of Examinees & Passers, 2007-2025

The first thing I have to emphasize is that the charts only show results from 2007 to 2025 because passing rates of first-timers and repeaters were only made available in the LLE press releases starting in 2007. Second, the steep declines in number of first-timers in 2014 and 2020 were due, respectively, to the change in exam schedule from November to April (which did not give fresh graduates enough time to submit the required documents) and COVID-19 (i.e., no LLE). Third, just by looking at the charts, it's clear that many more first-timers pass the exam than repeaters, and that the number of repeaters has been declining (due to the limitation, perhaps, that only LIS graduates can take the exam starting in 2010), but looking at percentages of passers vs examinees is also important...

Passing Rates, 2007-2025

If we exclude 2020, passing rates for first-timers and repeaters are clearly trending up. In numerical terms, the average passing rate (APR) for first-timers from 2007 to 2025 is 61 percent, but if we compute only for the past 10 years (2016-2025), the APR for first-timers goes up to 72 percent. The same is true for repeaters, where APR from 2007 to 2025 is 20 percent, but APR for the past 10 years is 26 percent. And in fact, the passing percentage for repeaters in the 2025 LLE is 47 percent, or almost half of all repeaters who took the exam, the highest since 2007 and possibly in LLE history!

What does this mean? I think it means that LIS education, in general, has improved since 2007 because more first-timers and repeaters are passing the LLE.

What's next? I'm going to try and see if I can do some more number-crunching, and update "The Best and the Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2009."

Note: The data used for this post are from the PRC press releases about the LLE results from 2007 to 2025.

Librarians' Licensure Exams: 1992-2025

Labels: Licensed Librarians

This blog has been inactive for several years now. I will eventually write about those missing years here, but for now, I hope some of you will be happy that I'm back!

In case you're new to my blog or were just not aware, individuals who wish to be recognized as librarians in the Philippines have to pass the Librarians' Licensure Examination (LLE) administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), with exam questions formulated by the three-member Board for Librarians (BFL). Those who pass the exam are then considered licensed or registered librarians.

In 2008, I shared some observations about the results of the Librarians' Licensure Exams: 1992-2007. Since then, so much has happened in the Philippines, our profession, and the exams, so let me update that old post...

Just by looking at the graph of the number of examiness and passers above, it's clear that the number of those taking the licensure exam has gone up from less than 500 examinees from 1992-1998 to an average of about 750 examinees or so since 2003 (with 2020 as an anomaly, but we'll get to this later). Perhaps the most significant exam-related development that occurred since 1992 is that from 2009 onward, only graduates of Library and Information Science (LIS) degrees (plus repeaters from previous years) have been qualified to take the exam. Previously, those with non-LIS degrees (e.g., BS or AB Elementary Education, with a major or specialization in Library Science) were allowed by Republic Act 9246 to take the exam. (For more on this, see Dean Vyva Aguirre on CPE ad Board Exam Issues.)

And then, of course, there was the year that COVID-19 shut everything down, including PRC board exams. No licensure exams were held in the Philippines that year, except for those conducted before the lockdown began on 15 March 2020. The following year, probably due to restrictions still in place and lingering fears among Filipinos, only 237 took the exam—the lowest number since 1995. It was also due to this development that the computer-based licensure examination was developed and began to be implemented in 2024.

Next, let's look at the passing rates...

The number of passers does not mean much if it is not divided by the number of takers to come up with a passing rate for the exam (unless, of course, the number of takers is the same every year, which is impossible hehe). The graph of LLE passing rates above indicates that the passing rate was approximately 50 percent from 1993 to 2003, 24 to 37 percent from 2004 to 2011, and—with a few exceptions—higher than 47 percent from 2012 onward.

While these numbers suggest that the exams were harder from 2004 to 2011, and easier after that period, the answer given by a BFL member to my question in 2012 indicates that among the possible reasons for the increase from 28 percent to 47 percent was that the BFL "conducted peer reviews of questions and made sure the questions were structured in such a way that the takers would easily comprehend them." (Does this mean the questions were difficult to understand before then? Perhaps. I took the exam in 2004, and I remember that there were questions to which there were no answers, were phrased awkwardly, or just plain incomprehensible. But I have no basis for comparison. The best persons to ask are probably the repeaters.)

In my 2008 post, I distinguished between first-timers and repeaters, analyzed passing rates per school, and speculated on the reason UP is consistently the school with the most number of passers. I will present and comment on the data—and more—in future posts.

Note: The data used for this post are from the PRC press releases about the LLE results from 2002 to 2025; and those for 1992-2001 are from "The professionalization of librarians in the Philippines" (pdf) by Antonio Santos.

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LLE: The Best and Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2025 - 3

LLE: The Best and Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2025 - 2

LLE: The Best and Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2025 - 1

Outstanding Librarian 2025: Easter B. Wahayna

Outstanding Librarian 2024: Annabelle P. Acedera

Outstanding Librarian 2023: Blesila P. Velasco

Outstanding Librarian 2022: Juan C. Buenrostro, Jr.

Outstanding Librarian 2021: Marianita D. Dablio

LLE: First-timers and Repeaters, 2007-2025

Librarians' Licensure Exams: 1992-2025

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