Davao Region hailed as overall champion, dethroning 9-time champion CALABARZON at the 2024 National Schools Press Conference

Campus journalists from all over the Philippines have once again come together to showcase their skills at this year's National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) held in Carcar City, Cebu.

The annual competition is a program by the Department of Education and is done to help students practice their journalism skills.

According to "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho," Kapuso reporter Raffy Tima is among those who experienced participating in the competition when he was a student.

"Nu'ng nag-college ako, isa 'yun sa mga naging top of mind ko na talagang mayroon akong puwedeng karera sa pagsusulat. Siguro isang puwede ko pang i-share is lalo sa mga nangangarap na lumabas sa TV, for example, sa broadcast. Hindi lahat ng trabaho ay isang bilang reporter, 'di ba? Madami," Tima said.

["When I was in college, it hit me that I could have a career in writing. For those who dream of being seen on TV, there are many jobs besides being a reporter."]

He continued, "Mahalagang bahagi ng isang dokumentaryo o even ng newscast 'yung mga nasa behind the camera. Basta ang foundation n'yo is magaling na pagsusulat, start from there."

["People behind the camera play a crucial role in any documentary or newscast. Anyone with a strong foundation in writing can begin their career in the broadcast industry."]

The NSPC hosts various categories for participants from different regions, including news writing, photojournalism, editorial cartooning, and the much-awaited live TV and radio broadcasting events.

CALABARZON, the nine-time defending overall champion at the NSPC, went all out in their preparations, especially after a practice video of representatives from the Ilocos Region went viral online.

"Nagsama po ang aming team para talagang makabuo ng dynamics and may mga trainings. Kumain tayo ng mani para maniin lang natin ang kompetisyon and sa ice cream of course bawal po kasi 'yung boses po namin," said Andreia, one of the representatives of CALABARZON. 

["Our team underwent various training sessions. We ate peanuts to stay sharp and avoided ice cream to protect our voices."]

Meanwhile, for the CARAGA Region, the defending champions in the Live TV Broadcasting - Filipino Category, also shared their preparations. The group's female anchor, Verity Bayang, admitted that she felt pressured, especially since her sister was part of last year's team.

"Hindi ko talaga na in-expect na papasok ako sa journalism. Siya po talaga 'yung nag-push sa akin mag-try. Kasi po mahiyain ako," she said.

["I really didn't expect to pursue journalism because I'm quite shy. My sister was the one who pushed me to try."]

The Davao Region, which placed third last year, also hopes to secure a spot at the NSPC. However, their preparations have been faced with challenges.

"Nagsisigawan na talaga kami sa room. Hindi pa talaga kami tapos sa lahat. And 'yung mga laptop namin nalo-lowbat na. Ang main struggle po namin is basically 'yung mga equipment. We only have one camera," they said.

["Everyone was shouting because the deadline was near, but we hadn't finished. Our laptops were running low on battery. The main struggle was really the equipment because we only had one camera."]

Despite these challenges, their coach, Teacher Zimrose, said that the team managed to exceed expectations.

The team from the Cordillera Administrative Region was the last to compete. Traveling from Tabuk City in Kalinga, they spent almost an entire day crossing mountains and seas to reach Cebu, causing them to miss the technical orientation. They also lacked proper uniforms, as their budget was primarily allocated for food and equipment. 

"Talagang hirap 'yung ating mga estudyante. Marami du'n sa mga teachers natin ang nagsasabi na talagang hinuhugot din nila sa sariling bulsa 'yung pangangailangan nila during the trainings, Teacher Ruby Bernardo, Alliance of Concerned Teachers Spokesperson said. 

["Our students really struggled. Many of our teachers had to use their own money to meet the needs during the training."] 

Last Friday, the winners of this year's NSPC were announced. 

The first place for Radio Scriptwriting and Broadcasting Secondary (Filipino) was awarded to the team from Region X, while the team from CALABARZON won in the TV Scriptwriting and Broadcasting Secondary (Filipino) category.

The Davao Region was hailed as the overall champion at the 2024 National Schools Press Conference, dethroning CALABARZON, the nine-time defending champion. 

After their win, one of the student journalists had this to say "We students should not be confined; we should be out there as messengers of truth." —JCB, GMA Integrated News