Asst Sec Labrador to grace 'Araw ng Parangal' today
No less than Dr. Vilma Labrador, the Assistant Secretary for Programs and Projects of the Department of Education, is set to induct the winners of the Search for the Most Outstanding Students and Educators in Western Visayas of the Private Secondary School Administrators Association of the Philippines today, Wednesday, at Punta Villa Resort, Arevalo, Iloilo City.
Sec. Labrador, who will also serve as the guest speaker of the ceremonies, is to be accompanied by Atty. Victoriano Tirol, Director of DepEd Region VI, and other supervisors and school principals from the region.
For High School students, there are five most outstanding awardees that will be given accolade today including Jade Rojas of St. Joseph School of Iloilo, Victor Robinson III of Ateneo de Iloilo, and Emere Conanan of Pandan Bay Institute-Antique. The other two winners are from Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus and Central Philippine University. Declared outstanding are five student leaders from Filamer Christian College, St. Joseph-Antique, St. Michael-Antique, Colegio de San Jose, and Sun Yat Sen School.
Two pupils are to be declared winners in the Elementary Department, namely Nadja Patricia Sauza (Most Outstanding) Starglow School for Academics and the Arts-Kalibo, Aklan and Alyanna Krista Fuego of Ateneo de Iloilo-Santa Maria Catholic School.
Engr. Herman Lagon of Ateneo de Iloilo will be declared Most Outstanding Teacher while Dr. Erenita Labor of Kalibo, Aklan is the Most Outstanding Principal.
The "Most Outstanding" awardees are to receive a plaque of recognition and PhP 5,000 cash while the other "Outstanding" students will bring home a plaque and PhP 1,500 cash.
The search started early January with the passing of the applicants' portfolio. For weeks, these were scrutinized by a set of judges coming from Iloilo and Negros. The students and educators with the best record were invited for series of interview that was capped with a panel talk in Bacolod last January 28.
To note, the Most Outstanding Teacher, Engr. Lagon, will be endorsed by the PRISSAAP for the National Metrobank Search for Outstanding Teachers set this summer.
Meanwhile, scores of selected schools are also slated to flock Punta Villa Resort on February 8 for the First Regional English Language Festival for Private Schools.
The event is also sponsored by PRISSAAP Western Visayas which is composed of private schools in the region.
Six provincial contestants will be vying for the top spot in the following categories Spelling Contest (Elementary and Secondary), Interpretative Reading (Elementary), On-The-Spot Poem Writing (Elementary and Secondary), On-The-Spot Essay Writing (Elementary and Secondary), Story Telling (Primary), Oration (Secondary), Declamation (Elementary and Secondary), Impromptu Speech (High School), and Character Impersonation (Elementary and High School).
According top Rev. Exequiel Guanzon, PRISSAAP 6 President, the "regional contest aims to maximize students' and pupils' speaking and writing skills through friendly competition and to raise their appreciation to literary pieces for personal and social growth."
"Also, it provides learning experiences where students can exemplify values of honesty, sportsmanship and goodwill."
Prior to the regional showdown, PRISSAAP has conducted the same competition in the division and provincial levels. The champions are the ones that will meet for the regional competition, making the event a celebration of Ilonggo students' excellence in English, arguably the country's most internationally-functional language.
The said 1st Regional Speechfest is, in fact, part of a four-day string of activities of the PRISSAAP in Iloilo which will began on February 5-6 with the PRISSAAP National Teachers' Congress. Themed "Retooling the Teachers for the School of the Future," the event was participated in by teachers in English, Mathematics and Science, Academic Coordinators, Faculty Presidents and Student Government Council Advisers.