The Pangasinan Star ONLINE

By Venus May H. Sarmiento
(PIA-Pangasinan Infocenter)

TWO thousand seventy-eight elementary and high school students representing 13 school divisions in Region I convened in Dagupan City Monday to Wednesday for the 2005 Regional Schools Press Conference at the City Astrodome

Dagupan City National High School played host division for this year’s RSPC heralding the theme ”Responsible and Quality Campus Journalism Gearing up to the Challenges of Schools First Initiative”

Coming from the four provinces of Region I, the 13 participating school divisions are the cities of Alaminos, Dagupan, San Carlos, Urdaneta, Pangasinan I and Pangasinan II for the province of Pangasinan; Candon City, Vigan City and Ilocos Sur; Laoag City and Ilocos Norte; and San Fernando and La Union.

Accompanied by their school division chiefs, superintendents and school organ advisers, the student contestants who have earlier emerged winners in their division level, eagerly joined the various writing contests.

The three-day regional press conference served as an avenue for budding journalists to hone their talents in English and Filipino for the various writing categories—editorial, news, feature, sports and even photojournalism

In last Monday’s opening ceremonies at the Dagupan City Astrodome, DCNHS Principal Teodora Nabor said the school paper is an excellent avenue for the virtues of truth and excellence that form the bedrock of society. She added that the aspiration for winning and the will to excel are “things that endure in man’s existence.”

City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim welcomed the participants whom he called “clear thinkers” following the saying that “writing is clear thinking made visible.” He also thanked the Department of Education for the “traditional and time-honored contest”

Present during the affair were assistant schools division superintendent of the host division Dr. Aurora Domingo, secondary education division chief Dr. Ernesto Florendo and elementary education division chief Dr. Elva Lois Orlanda.

Winners in the regional level will go all the way to Kalibo, Aklan in February for the national contest.

The regional schools press conference is held annually in accordance with regional memorandum. 54 which forms part of Republic Act 7079 also known as the Campus Journalism Act of 1991 (VMHS-PIA-Pangasinan/ Ilocos News Service)