CHED slates 1st academic and cultural festival for colleges and universities

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will hold a first-ever “academic and cultural” festival for college students in the country this March to promote academic and culture achievement in private and state universities and colleges.

Eleanor Imbang-Suarez, CHED information officer, said that the CHED Academic and Cultural Festival is scheduled to be held on March 1 to 5, 2010 at the UP Theater and UP Film Center in Diliman, Quezon City.

“The Festival will be an annual event that provides an avenue wherein students of the different tertiary institutions in the country, both public and private, can showcase their academic and cultural talents and competencies in a healthy competitive environment,” Suarez said.

The festival will include the holding of competitions that will recognize college students for their skills in impromptu speech, oration, poetry interpretation, story telling, debate, science, math and computer quizzes.

Emmanuel Angeles, CHED chairman, has reportedly pushed for the holding of the festival in his bid to stress the importance of academic and cultural competence, if not excellence, among the youth.     — Rainier Allan Ronda