Age is just a number: 56-yr.old iTinglayan fireman passes Feb. 2025 Criminology Board Exam

It is never too late to accomplish one’s aspirations in life - this is what retired iKalinga fireman Ferdinand Ammiyao wants the younger generations to take from his journey in becoming a registered criminologist at 56.

Ret. Fire Chief Inspector Ferdinand hails from Mallango, Tinglayan and is one of the 22,245 passers of the February 2025 Criminologists Licensure Examination (CLE).

Life Getting into the Way

In an interview with GURU Press Cordillera, the retired BFP official shared he finished Bachelor of Science in Criminology in 1992 at the University of Baguio, but he only got his license at this stage of his life because life itself got into the way for the past three decades.

He recounted he used his Napolcom Entrance Examination eligibility as his entry to the BFP in the 90s, and took and passed the Civil Service Examination which made him eligible for government service.

Having passed the two exams, Ferdinand focused on his work and family until he decided to take the CLE in 2011, 19 years since he graduated from college. At the time, he took the exam without preparations and review, and though he met the passing rate, he was not included in the list of passers as he failed one subject area of the test.

After failing the CLE for the first time, he did not take again the board exam and went on to serving as fire marshal to various places in Cordillera like in Conner where he initiated the building of the fire station at the municipality through lobbying for funds from the Department of Public Works and Highways. Before he retired in December 2024, Ferdinand served as the Provincial Fire Director in Mountain Province and Ifugao.

What made Ferdinand retake the board exam

After wrapping up his service at the BFP, Ferdinand who is a father to four children – all of them graduated from college, except for his youngest who will be graduating this year, finally made up his mind to retake the CLE.

What pushed him to still file for the CLE when he should be enjoying his retirement after 3 decades of serving the government is his continuous pursuit of knowledge and that he wanted to apply his Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology in the academe.   

“I realized that my doctorate would only be valuable if I passed the board exam to validate my knowledge,” he said.

Overcoming self-doubt

Having more time in his hands after retirement, Ferdinand enrolled at a review center in Kalinga where he joined young bloods of criminology graduates. He admitted he struggled at keeping up with the review due to his age, and that this made him doubt his ability to pass the exam.

“The vast amount of material to review was daunting, and I dealt with moments of self-doubt about passing the exam,” he conveyed.

In spite of the struggles he faced, the determined 56-year-old rose above the challenges and passed the Criminology board exam three decades since he finished his bachelor’s degree.

It’s never too late to achieve goals

The 56-year-old, when asked about what he wants the younger generations to take from his story, stressed that life is a continuous learning process.

“I want the younger generation to understand the importance of perseverance and lifelong learning. They should pursue their education, embrace challenges, and know it’s never too late to achieve their goals. Mentorship and collaboration are also valuable for their growth,” he said.

Ferdinand, who has been offered to become a reviewer, plans to share his knowledge and wisdom to the next generations of criminologists.