MANILA - Less than half or only 612 out of 1,621 individuals passed the licensure examinations for social workers last August, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced Thursday.

According to the commission, the Social Worker Licensure Examination last month was given by the Board for Social Workers in the cities of Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Iloilo, Koronadal, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga.

Digna De Guzman from the University of the Philippines-Diliman led this year's examinees with a rating of 83 percent.

De Guzman was followed by Moriah Tambura from Caraga State University-Butuan City (82.20 percent), Jasmin Libunao from Wesleyan University Philippines in Cabanatuan City (82 percent).

Grace Aliman from St. Paul University-Tuguegarao ranked fourth with 81.60 percent, followed by Amerjaphil Vidal from Wesleyan University Philippines in Cabanatuan City with 81.40 percent.

Meanwhile, the successful examinees who were included in the top 10 ranking in the August exams were the following:

La Verdad Christian College is this year's top performing school, after all 13 of its examinees passed the examination.

The top schools with 10 or more examinees and with at least 80 percent passing percentage were:

PRC said the date and the place of their oath taking ceremony would be announced "later."