MANILA, Philippines – Long before he became a two-time board exam topnotcher, Ed Ryan Ruales had already mastered one of life's most valuable skills—adapting. It was this ability that transformed an ordinary full-time worker into an extraordinary achiever.
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| Photo courtesy: Ed Ryan Ruales |
In an exclusive interview with The Summit Express, Ruales shared how years of sacrifice, resilience, and relentless self-improvement enabled him to excel in multiple Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) licensure examinations while juggling a demanding career.
The 27-year-old Chemical Engineer from Southern Leyte, now based in Cebu, graduated from Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U).
While working full-time, he earned his Chemical Engineer license, ranked Top 2 in the October 2021 Chemical Technician Licensure Examination (CTLE), and later claimed the Top 1 spot in the February 2026 Master Plumber Licensure Examination (MPLE).
Ruales said the October 2021 Chemical Engineer Licensure Examination (ChELE) was the toughest board exam he had taken, made even more challenging by the restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although he narrowly missed the Top 10 by only a point or two, passing the examination while working full-time remains one of his proudest accomplishments.
Ruales currently works in the water treatment industry, where he was inspired to pursue the Master Plumber Licensure Examination to deepen his technical knowledge in a field closely related to his work.
For Ruales, earning professional licenses was never just about adding credentials but about building a better future for the family he hopes to have one day.
"My dream is to be able to provide my family with enough resources so that they won't have to experience or go through the challenges I've faced," he told The Summit Express.
His determination was forged by the challenges his family faced after his father passed away in 2008, prompting his mother to work overseas to support him and his brother.
"We literally had nothing, no resources and no shelter," he recalled.
When the pandemic disrupted graduations and postponed board examinations, Ruales chose to work without a professional license so his mother would no longer have to return abroad after finally coming home.
Preparing for another board examination while working full-time demanded discipline as he balanced 12-hour rotating shifts, household responsibilities, and review sessions.
"I had to make time to study amidst my 12-hour rotating shift," he said.
One habit, however, became the foundation of his board exam success.
"My strategy is to make your own notes, preferably handwritten, to create some sort of map in your head to navigate during the exam," he shared.
He also created study materials that he could access on his devices, allowing him to review during every work break he could get.
After every examination, he estimated his rating by adding the number of answers he was certain were correct and about 40 percent of the questions he was unsure about, assuming he had successfully eliminated the wrong choices.
Despite failing refresher and pre-board examinations, Ruales refused to let setbacks define him.
"I kept going; I kept reading and learning, often hoping and always praying that somehow it would work out," he said.
His perseverance paid off when congratulatory messages flooded his phone while he was at work, informing him that he had topped the Master Plumber Licensure Examination.
"When I saw my name on the top of the list, it felt unreal," he admitted.
Calling his journey "The Man Who Adapts," Ruales hopes to inspire other full-time workers and those living independently to believe that no dream is impossible.
"Any dream that you have is not an impossible dream," he said, encouraging others to keep learning, adapt to every challenge, and never stop pursuing their goals.
He also left future board examinees with a reminder born from experience: "Take the exam even if you are not sure because no one really cares how many times you took it, but the license you earn will stay with you forever."
— The Summit Express
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