City schools no longer joining drum and bugle competition
Skills and talents of elementary and high school students in the drum, bugle and lyre may not be seen during the weeklong celebration of the 2010 Dinagyang festival after the head of the City Division of Schools deferred their participation.
In a letter sent by City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Erlinda Gencaya to Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) Vice President Ricardo Andrada, the former said they want to focus more on the academics particularly on the review for the forthcoming achievement tests namely, the National Achievement Test (NAT), Regional Achievement Test (RAT) and Division Achievement Test (DAT).
Gencaya, in her letter dated November 5, 2009, said the decision for their non-participation is also in cognizance of the desire of the DepEd Secretary, Iloilo City chief executive and key officials that “we focus more on academics.”
Gencaya also sent text messages to her school supervisors preventing them from attending any meetings relative to the Dinagyang festival. Part of her text message says “no school head should attend Dinagyang meetings without my knowledge/permit. Please be guided accordingly.”
In the first year of its participation in the Tambor, Trumpa, Martsa, Musika competition, the Division of Iloilo City ranked 2nd in NAT regional level. On its second year of participation, the division ranked fifth on the same level.
In the same letter, Gencaya appreciated the effort of the foundation in choosing Mrs Gloria Aungon as a front liner in the drum/lyre/bugle contest.
Gencaya, however, lamented that Aungon has to supervise MAPEH teachers of the division and same time attend to various assignments inherent in her position such as spearheading the holding of the City Meet, Integrated Meet, WVRAA, Christmas festivals among others.
Nevertheless, Gencaya permitted Aungon to attend whatever meetings with the Foundation that calls for her presence being the schools division superintendent.
In the 2009 drum/bugle/lyre competition, Dr. Febe Cang, assistant city school superintendent along with Nelson Checa and Carmen Abonado took charge of the Tambor, Trumpa, Martsa, Musika. The drum/bugle/lyre competition is one of the innovations in the Dinagyang festival to gather more participation from the school-based groups.
The division’s deferment of their participation from the competition was also confirmed by Cang. With the standing order, all schools that expressed their willingness to join the contest come from the province of Iloilo.
Apparently, the academic performance of schools under the provincial division of schools was not in anyway affected. They ranked first in the recent NAT regional level.
In the 2009 contest, the Alibango Central School in the town of Alimodian is the champion in the elementary level. The Arevalo Elementary School was the 1st placer and Baluarte Elementary School was the 2nd placer.
The Iloilo City National High School was the champion in the secondary level while the Fort San Pedro National High School was the 1st placer. Calinog National High School came second.
