By Nate C. Barretto
Two Filipinos have stood out among the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test takers in the Philippines and joins the list of 33 prize winners in the East Asia region who have been honored with an IELTS Prize 2018/19 Local Prize.
In a statement sent to THEPHILBIZNEWS.COM, the British Council said the two Local Prize winners in the Philippines are Jestine Jennica Cabiles and Rey Mejias, who both demonstrated “a strong aspiration and commitment to serve society.”
“IELTS is the world’s most popular high-stakes English proficiency test, with over 3.5 million tests taken in 2018. Through the British Council IELTS Prize, we are pleased to subsidise high-calibre individuals who demonstrate the potential to contribute to society after their studies,” said Trish Thomson, regional marketing director for East Asia.
Ms. Pilar Aramayo-Prudencio, British Council in the Philippines country director, handed the winners their checks during the recent awarding.
The British Council IELTS Prize was launched in 2011 and has since supported more than 270 students in East Asia in pursuing their dreams of studying abroad.
“This year, the British Council interviewed over one hundred exceptional individuals who have excelled in their IELTS test and shown admirable aspiration in their plan to contribute to society, locally or abroad,” the statement said.
The British Council said that it was a tough decision for the judges to pick winners among those who demonstrated outstanding levels of academic commitment and excellent communication skills. This year, they picked 33 winners in the region, including Cabiles and Mejia, and they are now British Council IELTS Ambassadors.
The statement quoted Cabiles as saying: “I am beyond grateful to the British Council for this life-changing opportunity that brought me closer to my goal of gaining global education towards becoming an analyst for social impact. Winning the IELTS Prize is a solid affirmation of my communication skills; it is a reflection of my preparedness for international exposure at the Paris School of Business where I will specialize in innovation, strategy, and data analytics.”
For her part, Aramayo-Prudencio said: “We are grateful and proud to have been part of these outstanding individuals’ pursuit of overseas education. As their test centre of choice, we will continue to provide quality support and assistance through our premium test preparation offers and excellent customer service.”
The British Council provides a full range of services, including pre-test support, in-test arrangements and post-test services. This includes access to Road to IELTS, a collection of specially designed online preparation and practice materials for registered students, including practice tests. Test takers also benefit from easily accessible venues, flexibility when selecting test sessions to best suit their schedules, and the timely receipt of their Test Report Form. To learn more, please visit www.ieltsasia.org/ph.
