NEWS
Marikina holds its 22nd Division Schools Press Conference after 3 years
MAY 19, 2023 | PHILIPPINES
Paris Mabato
STO NIÑO, MARIKINA CITY — Hundreds of campus journalists gather at Sto Niño Elementary School for the opening program of the 22nd Division School Press Conference (DSPC) this May 13, 2023
With the theme anchored on “From Campus Journalism to Real-World Journalism: Shaping Minds from Schools to Societies’”. The DSPC is set to take place on May 13 for individual categories and May 19 for group categories.
​
THE NEW NORMAL
The Division Schools Press Conference is an annual event held to gather young campus journalists to showcase their skills and talents in Journalism. But with the onset of the pandemic, it halted to a stop.
​
Ms. Janet S. Cajuguiran, Education Program Adviser, said that It’s “very refreshing” to be back after years of being pandemic. She added that she feels that we are on the right track again.
​
According to Cajuguiran, there is only a slight difference between the old DSPC and the new normal DSPC. The number of participants for the presscon decreased after the pandemic as only few schools tapped in this year to join the contest.
​
In her welcoming speech, Head Teacher of Sto Niño Elementary School, Analiza M. Paz also expressed her joy since after 3 years of the pandemic, the Divisions Schools Press Conference finally held its face-to-face competition.
​
“On behalf po of my 2,900 learners, 84 teachers, and 39 teaching staff, maligayang pagdating po sa Sto Niño Elementary School. Our home is your home.” She said.
Another speaker, Dr. Ma. Evalou Concepcion Agustin, expressed her warmest gratitude to everyone who organized the event. She also greeted everyone who was competing in the DSPC and commended them for their hard work and dedication.
​
“I was once a journalism adviser too, and I know how you feel right now.” She said.
She encouraged everyone who was there to keep their heads high as this contest can be a stepping stone for growth and for leaning. For her, it isn’t just about winning or losing.
​
“Every step you take, every article you write, and every story you tell brings you closer to becoming the journalist you aspire to be,” she added.
​
BEHIND THE SCENES
The Division Memorandum No. 089 s. 2023 or also known as the 22nd Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC) for Elementary and Secondary Level was released on April 2, 2023, and it caused the planning and preparation to be rushed which caused difficulties for the organizers and participants.
​
Ms. Cajuguiran stated that time was not enough for them but they did their best to maximize it. According to her, they just followed the different memorandums and DepEd materials to finish their plans.
​
Time also became a problem for different students as they only had 1 week to practice for their competitions. According to Prince Pol Andres, a sports writer who competed, their time was very minimal and it caused him an imbalance between Journalism and his academics.
​
“We only prepared formally for 1 week, and it was such a challenge to me since I’m just new but I think my hobbies helped me a lot in my category” he stated.
When it comes to the budget, Ms. Cajuguiran added that it was “good enough” as the local government provided their needs for the competition to commence.
But despite the difficulties encountered during the implementation, the Divisions School Press Conference in Marikina City took place successfully. #
EDITORIAL
.png)
BRIDGING GAPS
MAY 19, 2023 | PHILIPPINES
Sofia Veluz
Last July 2022, Education Secretary Sara Duterte issued a memorandum to mandate the conduct of face-to-face classes for the school year 2022-2023. Following this, the Department of Education recorded 28.03 million students returning to the four walls of the classroom after 3 years of studying in the comfort of their homes. This shift back to the traditional mode of learning has caused mixed reactions from teachers, students, and their families, opening the conversation on how exactly the pandemic has affected education.
As students shuffle back to the halls of schools, the gaps in learners’ knowledge and understanding manifest in the grades they obtain which are substantially lower than that of previous years especially when it comes to their ability to read and comprehend. This should not just alarm the education sector, but also bring urgency to the Filipino people as this problem, if ignored, will set the future leaders and workforce of the country back. It is only through intentionally learning about the current situation of learners, providing immediate and realistic solutions, and openness to feedback and revision that these schools can bridge the educational gaps faced by Filipino learners.
Consistent with the Department of Education’s mission statement, they have shown no hesitance in acknowledging that there is a problem and it is not something that can be swept under the rug. During a press conference, Mr. Galcoso Alburo, the Education Program Adviser for Filipino, opened the discussion on the effects of distance learning on the literacy rates of public elementary and secondary school students. Rather than simply knowing about the situation, the division took intentional steps to understand it by implementing assessments for Grades 1 to 10 which measured their reading levels. Though a simple yet daunting feat to conduct across the public schools in the city of Marikina, these numbers make the decrease in literacy rate tangible. From simply being an idea, the country’s issue of students’ ability to read paints an image of thousands of wide-eyed learners with a desire to read and be equipped to do so. With this, it is essential for all learning establishments down to the educators of each classroom to better understand the current status of their students when it comes to learning as a benchmark on what to do.
Understanding the problem without taking action would deem the whole effort useless. Due to this, it is crucial for the education sector to use the urgency of these numbers and take action. DepEd Marikina took no time in implementing remedial classes for elementary school students on Mondays and Tuesdays to focus on building and sharpening their skills in English and Filipino. However, it is important for us to acknowledge that this practice, though speedy, is not yet perfected. The supplemental classes present the scarcity in the number of teachers as well as the additional workload this brings to them and their students. Though it is still in the works, providing temporary solutions is better than nothing at all.
Nonetheless, we should not be stuck on the same methods of instruction especially when it has been proven ineffective. Teaching and learning is an ever-evolving process as the students change according to the present norms, culture, and innovations. Therefore, when implementing these interventions to address the gaps in students’ learning, it is necessary for educational establishments to be open to revising their plans and creating new ways for this to be done. In the Division Schools Press Conference, Alburo highlighted the school division’s willingness to adopt various strategies to better hone the reading and comprehension skills of learners. If these plans come to fruition, other learning establishments should follow suit to reach their goal of producing competent Filipinos who are equipped to build a nation that learns and takes action from what they have read.
​
On the contrary, others may argue that literacy is but an aspect of a student’s competency, and the focus on this is unnecessary. However, the ability to read and comprehend texts is far more than plotting the flow of a story. It is the pathway for learners to see the world from a wider lens and find their position in it to best contribute to the community. Reading is not just reading, but living in the pursuit of improving life for future generations.
The return to the traditional mode of learning is not a resumption of what we left off three years ago. This poses a new problem in education that threatens to affect not just the present numbers that students see on paper, but also the leaders, doctors, and educators that will make up the country’s workforce. Therefore, it is important for the education sector today to fully understand the problem at hand, take immediate and necessary solutions to address it, and be open to adopting new and effective strategies of instruction. These actions not only bridge the gap in learning for students today but also pave the path for the future of education in the modern world.#
LITERACY:
THE START OF JOURNALISM
MAY 19, 2023 | PHILIPPINES
Sofia Veluz
Last April, the World Literacy Foundation reports that 9 out of 10 children at the age of 10 experience difficulties in reading text. In addition, Sara Duterte, the Education Secretary of the Philippines, expressed the increase in Filipino learners who are not able to read. These are but a few out of the numerous articles that illustrate the worrying decline of literacy in the country.
Literacy is, without a doubt, an important competency for learners to have today as this opens the door to knowledge and deepens their understanding of the world around them. The ability to read and understand what it is you are reading is only a step towards expressing the truth and exposing the realities we experience which is the heart of journalism. How else can journalism in our country flourish if no one can gather information to write it or no one will be there to read it? Therefore, to continue the pursuit of truth in journalism, we should first equip students to read, hone these skills in practice, and open opportunities for this writing to be recognized.
​
The Division of Marikina has been vocal in its desire to address the decline of literacy in the city by conducting assessments to understand the severity of the situation, implementing remedial classes for learners to be supplemented with knowledge, and planning future steps toward eradicating this issue. It is high time for learning establishments to share in this goal of aiding their students with the skill of not just reading, but also comprehending texts in order to create a mindset of truth-seeking among young learners.
With the basics already in place, it is essential for these skills to be honed. From the implementation of school activities catered to practice their data gathering and writing to the presence of school publications that will open their world to journalism. Though the scope of the stories they cover may not be as wide, campus journalists who started with their ability to read and comprehend are being trained to be journalists who bring light to the stories of the marginalized in the community.
Students must not remain in the confines of their schools but go beyond them by interacting with fellow campus journalists. The conduct of the Division Schools Press Conference is one of many ways to open opportunities for future journalists to know what journalism really is and instigate a culture of uncovering the truth and moving people to action.
On the contrary, others may argue that literacy is a minuscule aspect of being a journalist. However, one cannot build a good structure without having a strong foundation. Literacy acts as the foundation for understanding the information presented for what are real and stringing words together to communicate ideas and these realities with the general public. What is deemed small is actually the cornerstone of what we know as journalism today as the experience of campus journalism shapes journalists who go beyond the five senses and cling to the truth for the people.
Literacy goes beyond the ability to read as this enables young learners to experience, think, and understand through the words that form stories and depict the truth. If we want to keep journalism alive, we must look at the starting point by equipping students to read, honing communication and comprehension through practice, and providing opportunities for writing to be recognized. If inspiring people to action is the endpoint of journalism, literacy is its starting line. #
FEATURE
The Unseen Battle:
Struggles of A Teacher in providing Quality Education
MAY 19, 2023 | PHILIPPINES
Mon Lagustan
Lack of materials, time-constraints, problems in localizations, these are one of the many problems teachers like Guillermo Esteban Jr., an AP 4 teacher at Marikina Elementary School faces in order to teach children about his subject.
Good quality education is one of the most important aspects of a country in the 21st Century. With the advances of technology and society as a whole one would expect that the educational system would improve drastically to ensure the quality education is provided to the whole.
This was not the case for the Philippines, being that our educational problems continue to persist, one indicator of which is that the Philippines is one of the countries with the lowest literacy rate in Asia, reflecting the quality of its education.
But with prevailing challenges such as changes in technology, diminishing interests in reading, and various curriculum compromises, one can wonder what the future holds for our life-long learners.
The Lingering Effects of the Pandemic
A key contributor for the lowering of the quality of education in the Philippines was the COVID pandemic that raised a storm across the globe. According to Guillermo, the pandemic made learners frequent absences in their classes which was caused by the students’ being so used to being at their homes that their tolerance for attending classes slowly diminished.
He also stated that achieving a complete attendance in a class which was once a common case for schools, now became a rare occurrence. Across the Philippines the online modality has become a widely accepted way of learning, though debated about its efficiency, was a compromise that needed to happen in order to catch-up with the pace of learning with the rest of the world.
Guillermo also stated that the recent schedule change due to the heat caused by weather in May also affected the learning of students. Students were now urged to attend face-to-face classes every 2 days, being Wednesday and Thursday, and attend the remaining days in online classes, stating that we were going back to the “pandemic-style” of learning. Though the change was intended to benefit the students, it had some unintended consequences.
In implementing the change he has noticed that the amount of time given to teach the subject, which was 2 days, was not enough to teach an entire module that was intended to be taught for a whole week which presented difficulties in targeting the various learning competencies for students to master. These were just among one of the many problems a teacher faces on a daily basis in order to provide education to learners.
With the small but incremental inadequacies of learning beginning to pile up, it began affecting the quality of learning of the students.
​
No Child Left Behind?
But even with these challenges, teachers like Guillermo still find ways to deliver his duties to his students, though even his extended efforts may not seem enough.
With the difficulties presented by online learning, such as a lack of devices capable for online learning, and a lack of internet or signal, Guillermo stated that the school provides modules to compensate.
But with the lack of materials they can only provide for almost half of learners that need it. It seems like a helpless case, solutions presented only offer more problems instead. This is the case for the educational system here in the Philippines, lack of materials and teachers is a prevalent problem that needs to be solved in order to serve the learning needs of the country.
Future Implications
With Guillermo he stays hopeful, “We make use of what we can” he says. And also “that we are on the right track again”, teachers like him remain optimistic even with the sorry state of our system today.
With remediation being implemented by the DEPED Central Office following the alarming rise in learners with ‘No Reading Ability’ we can look forward to an optimistic future for the case of education. With teachers like Guillermo trying to persevere in the face of adversity, it serves as a beacon of light to learners to have teachers willing to do whatever it takes in order so that they can receive the quality education that they deserve.
We can only hope that these remediations will slowly but surely guide the quality of education and literacy rates up. With these implementations I think we are stepping in the right direction toward improving the system from the bottom-up in order to establish a strong foundation for learning. #
SPORTS
UNTARNISHED VICTORS:
SEHS Tigers hunts down CIS Eagles
in exhibition, 22-25, 25-23, 25-23
MAY 19, 2023 | PHILIPPINES
Heinz Yu
MARIKINA CITY - The Sta. Elena High School (SEHS) Tigers poses for the camera after emerging victorious over Concepcion Integrated School (CIS) Eagles in their exhibition match held last May 13, 2023, at the Marikina High School Gymnasium
Caption by: Heinz Yu | Photo by: Alexa Sambale
MARIKINA CITY – The Sta. Elena High School (SEHS) Tigers proved that they are still the reigning Division Palaro champions of the men’s volleyball scene as they prevailed over the Concepcion Integrated School (CIS) Eagles in their exhibition match held at the Marikina High School Gymnasium on May 13, 2023.
Joshua Jimenez, regarded by his team captain as their “crème de la crème”, laid the foundation to the team's impenetrable reign in the court. The middle blocker acquired a total of two block assists, one kill, and one serve throughout his playtime.
On the other hand, Daniel San Pedro served as the most adamant player of CIS. The team captain slash setter accumulated one kill, one block, and one serve in total.
The first set concluded with a 22-25 scoring, with the lead in favor of the Eagles.
The Tigers gained an upper hand in the second frame, ending the set with a 25-22 scoring.
As the tie-breaker set commenced, Alexis Llenado barraged the Tigers’ den with two service aces, prompting a 4-0 lead for CIS. The spotlight was soon taken by the Tigers as the tower-like block assists of Jimenez clashed against Eagles’ quick attacks, 5-9.
CIS continued to bombard SEHS with AJ Caugiuran’s scorching in-line quick attacks. The opposite hitter even caused the ball to plummet outside the court, 12-12. Despite this, the Tigers’ remained vigilant as defenders, which evoked several tie-breakers until both teams reached a 16-16 scoring.
The talons may be sharp, but the claws lacerated deeper. CIS’ momentum went down on a slippery slope due to the abundance of service and attack errors, making their 20-18 lead transform to a 21-23 loss. With only two points close to victory, Angelo de Leon surprised CIS with a phenomenal service ace, 21-24.
SEHS ended the match with a blitzkrieg of quick attacks. After two unsuccessful services, the Tigers finally gained a point from a quick attack; ending the game on a 23-25 scoring in favor of SEHS.
“There are a lot of deficiencies within the players. Actually, half of the team have just started training, plus there are many things that need to improve especially on the attack. If you would notice, there is not that much spiking, most of the time we are only playing defense. The next time we play, we need to show them power.” Coach Jerome Vaso of SEHS said in Filipino.
After the match, the two teams idly played together; this time no contest, just pure passion and love for volleyball.#
INSIDE THE UNCONQUERED PROWLERS OF STA. ELENA
MAY 19, 2023 | PHILIPPINES
Heinz Yu
Last April, the World Literacy Foundation reports that 9 out of 10 children at the age of 10 experience difficulties in reading text. In addition, Sara Duterte, the Education Secretary of the Philippines, expressed the increase in Filipino learners who are not able to read. These are but a few out of the numerous articles that illustrate the worrying decline of literacy in the country.
After that, they hold pride in the city’s name after representing it at the recent NCR Palaro. As they won the exhibition match against Concepcion Integrated School, the team remains to enjoy their regal bearing as the “Volleyball Kings of Marikina”.
​
​
THE AMAZING COACH
All victors have a mentor which paves the way to their impending dominance on the field. In sports, we refer to them as coaches; people who supervise the team, train the team, and guide the team during the course of a match.
​
Jerome Vaso is Sta. Elena’s fantastic head coach. Despite being new to the team, he has established an outstanding relationship with the Tigers.
​
As the acting “father” of the team, he continues to strengthen the foundations of proactive, and competitive playstyle as well as the pillars of bond, trust, and teamwork. He aims to improve the players by creating a preemptive training course.
​
“By three months, we are improving the height and body weight of the players. By six months, we are improving their spiking skills. By the next palaros next school year, they shall work as one unit, like strong soldiers.”, the coach commented in Filipino.
​
Preparation holds its significance on the growth of the team; thus, Coach Vaso utilizes it to the betterment of the team’s performance.
​
In addition to good coaching, Mr. Vaso never fails to motivate the players in his own little ways. From little words of encouragement, to managing the production of the team’s jersey, the coach has shown his dedication to boost up the team’s morale.
​
“However, as we went along different levels of competition, especially NCR Palaro, we saw that the players were more motivated when they were playing with their friends, when they met new players, and when they were able to showcase their love for the sport.”, the coach heartfully stated in Filipino.
​
The team’s engagement on the Palarong Pambansa 2023 and the realization that participation in such events motivates the players to give in their full potential, served as the main driver for Mr. Vaso to push his teams to partake in exhibition matches.
​
THE ROLE MODEL
In every sport, the role of the captain holds a tremendous impact on the overall relationship of the team. He or she is the one who initiates communication inside the court, and is also the one who is expected to be responsible and capable enough to comply with the demands of the coach.
​
Juan Miguel Segismundo, SEHS’ captain, was ecstatic and proud of the triumph of his team despite being benched for almost the whole game. Being in such a situation is ego wrenching for many, but the humble captain states that the exhibition match is the best way for the beginners to hone their skills in the court.
​
“The game wasn’t meant for us because some of our members are already experienced when it comes to volleyball. You saw that our coach benched me during the late game, right? That’s because our team decided to let the beginners play in order for them to benefit from the match.” Segismundo clarifies.
​
Segismundo is an aspiring volleyball player. He aims to play in the UAAP and be part of the national team in the future. The captain is regarded as a role model by his teammates not only because of his excellent spiking skills, but his overflowing consideration and love for his teammate and the volleyball youth as a whole.
​
“Continue to strive, and don’t give up. I also always tell my teammates to have discipline because there is no good volleyball player without discipline. Always listen to your coach, to your parents, and strive for excellence in your studies.” Segismundo said in Filipino, with the aim to empower young athletes to pursue volleyball. #
