DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Secondary and elementary school journalists from Mindanao performed commendably during the Department of Education’s (DepEd) National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) held in Puerto Princesa City.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the weeklong NSPC, a major annual DepEd program participated in by some 3,000 leading campus scribes and their school paper advisers from 17 regions, largely involves individual writing competitions in English and Filipino.
DepEd Region 11 director Susana Estigoy said a DepEd central office report showed five pupil penpushers from Mindanao placed first in as many individual elementary writing contests, while three of their high school colleagues topped their respective areas even as 38 others emerged in the top five winners in various writefest in both levels.
Estigoy identified the champion pupil journalists as Renz Carl Ybanez of Davao City who topped in news writing (Filipino); Radzmil Saji of Zamboanga City, feature writing (F); Jurissa Mae Asilo of Butuan City, editorial writing (E); Mary Nathalie Penalosa, photo journalism (E), and Faith Villahermosa of Butuan City, news writing (E).
Six other Mindanao elementary scribes, Estigoy said, ranked second in their respective derbies. They are Neryl Jane Dagohoy of Misamis Occidental, sports writing (E); Lara Loreen Domingo of Butuan City, feature writing (E); Carmenena Cadavero of Agusan del Norte, photo journalism (E); Glayndale Reyes of Surigao del Sur, editorial writing (F); Elisha Mae Cataluna of Butuan City, news writing (F), and Chariz Ann Tajo of Koronadal City, photo journalism (F).
Third placers in their respective matches are pupil penpushers Rommel Vargas of Zamboanga City, feature writing (E); Kiara Allyssa Paquit of Butuan City, photo journalism (E), and Nika Pareja of Davao City, feature writing (F).
In the HS level, Renee Galeno of Davao City, Yahaira Guiamla of Cotabato City, and Hazel Mae Alonzo of Bukidnon were ranked No. 1 in editorial cartooning (F), editorial writing (E), and editorial writing (F), respectively.
Four other HS journalists placed third in as many writing tilts. They are Gelvi Lacanaria of Koronadal City, news writing (E), Mark Arlo Segundo of General Santos City, sports writing (E), Mary Jill Ira Banta of Davao City, editorial writing (F), and Jim Mari Mutia of Misamis Occidental, copyreading and headline writing (F).