The son of a former Jollibee crew member and SM saleslady has ranked first in the October 2026 Physicians Licensure Examination, earning a 95.50% rating and securing the country's highest score. Maxine Francesco Gwyneth Cena Baculo of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) led 4,165 successful examinees, according to results released by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Oct. 15. Of the 4,447 who took the examinations on Oct. 3, 4, 10 and 11, 93.66% passed. Baculo, who hails from Oriental Mindoro, had already graduated as valedictorian of UST's Faculty of Medicine and Surgery Class of 2025. In a graduation speech published in UST's medical journal, he described the work his parents undertook to support their family. His father worked at Jollibee, painted signs and sold seafood at a public market. His mother worked at SM and prepared food for their small eatery. “Sa wakas, may doktor na tayo sa pamilya,” Baculo told his family. His mother also recalled the demands of medical school in an interview with UST's student publication SCRUBS. “Ang pinakamahirap ay kapag nakikita ko siyang di na makakain kasi kailangan niya mag-aral,” she said. Baculo credited his family's sacrifices as an influence on his decision to pursue medicine and acknowledged the LC Foundation's support for medical scholars. His academic achievements also extend to research. In April 2026, he co-authored a published medical study examining Filipinos' knowledge and practices involving antibiotic use, contributing to efforts to improve public health education. UST recorded another major achievement in the same examination, with all 312 of its examinees passing for a 100% passing rate. Rene Louis Quiambao Singson of the University of the Philippines Manila placed second nationwide with 95.08%. - @pgmn_official