National Schools Press confab opens in Aklan amid drumbeats
Kalibo, Aklan -- It was Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival all over again here February 20 when the National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) formally opened amidst drumbeats.
With at least 3,000-strong delegates and guests from the 17 regions of the country, the Ati-Atihan-inspired parade was a festive one as the delegates pranced and danced along the streets of Kalibo complete with native and artistically-styled headdresses and distinctive colorful uniforms that depict their region's way of life and culture.
The delegates gathered here for the holding of this year's National Schools Press Conference, hosted by Aklan through the Department of Education and ably supported by the Provincial Government of Aklan and the Municipality of Kalibo.
For five days starting February 20 and ending on February 24, the best among the best elementary and high school students in the art of writing from the 17 regions of the country will compete in various contests, in keeping with the conference' aims - which are to serve as a forum for communicating through variety of journalistic approaches the objectives of the Schools First Initiative; enhance journalism competencies through friendly individual and group competitions and demonstrate commitment to the challenges of SFI through responsible and quality campus journalism.
The contests, which are mainly held at the Aklan Catholic College (ACC) here for elementary and high school contenders from the 17 regions include copy reading and headline writing, editorial writing, newswriting, feature writing, sports writing, editorial cartooning and photo layout.
The Aklan State University-School of Industrial Technology (ASU-SIT) is the venue for Script Writing for Broadcasting and for the Radio Broadcasting contest.
The awarding ceremonies for Radio Broadcasting will be held at ASU-SIT Kalibo for both the Elementary and Secondary Contestants while the ABL Sports Complex will be the venue of the Awarding Ceremonies for Outstanding Elem. and Sec. Campus Journalists and for group and individual contests. The closing ceremonies will also be held at the ABL Sports complex.
Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores, in welcoming the delegates to Aklan, said the NSPC is a "very excellent avenue to develop the youth as they prepare for greater leadership roles in the future."
He also told the Aklanons that this is the chance to show "our unique brand of Aklan hospitality, and to give our best to showcase the province of Aklan to the rest of the nations."
Governor Carlito Marquez, for his part, commended the organizers particularly the public school teachers who had been tasked to conceptualize and implement programs and opportunities to enable the youth to develop to the fullest their writing talents.
The Ati-atihan inspired parade, complemented with the participation of winning Kalibo Sto. Niño Ati-Atihan Festival 2006 Original and Modern Tribes, was conceptualized by DepEd-Aklan and the Municipality of Kalibo through Mayor Raymar Rebaldo to showcase and promote the Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival, considered as the Mother of All Philippine Festivals and make those delegates who have never attended the yearly festival experience the revelry.
"Responsible and Quality Campus Journalism: Gearing up to the Challenges of Schools First Initiatiive" is the theme of this year's NSPC.
(PIA/Venus G. Villanueva)