CSC campus writers bag 13 major awards in regional tertiary schools journalism contest

The Catanduanes State Colleges students once more proved their dominance in scholastic journalism competition when they hauled 13 major awards, including the much coveted Highest Individual Pointer citation, during the 6th Regional Tertiary Schools Press Conference (RTSPC) held on November 23-25, 2005 at Bethlehem Retreat House and Human Resource Development Center in Sogod, Bacacay, Albay.

WINNERS ALL - Top placers in the RTSPC 2005-2006 Individual Writing Competition - (left to right) Anthony Emerenciana, Michael Jake Arcilla, Mark Anthony Viñas, Adem Nalu Rubio and Loraine dela Cruz. (GSR/CSC)

Leading this year’s awardees are Mark Anthony Viñas, (College of Industrial Technology) - Highest Individual Pointer; Loraine Dela Cruz (College of Education) - 1st Place, News Writing (Filipino); Anthony Emerenciana (College of Nursing and School of Midwifery) - 1st Place Copyreading and Headline Writing (Filipino); Mark Anthony Viñas (College of Industrial Technology) - 1st Place, Comics Strip Drawing (English); Adem Nalu Rubio (College of Education) - 1st Place, Poetry Writing (Filipino); Mark Anthony Viñas (College of Industrial Technology) - 2nd Place, Editorial Cartooning (English); Mark Anthony Viñas (College of Industrial Technology) - 2nd Place Literary Graphics Illustration (English); Michael Jake Arcilla (College of Education) - 2nd Place, Copyreading and Headline Writing (English); Anthony Emerenciana (College of Nursing and School of Midwifery) - 3rd Place, Editorial Writing (Filipino).

In the Group Writing Competition, the First Issue of the CSC Statesman, the official tertiary student publication of the CSC garnered the following awards: 4th Place, Best Devcom Page, 5th Place, Best Page Design, 5th Place, Best Opinion Page and 5th Place, Best Magazine category.

The Highest Individual Pointer Award is given to a contestant that earned the biggest point in all the writing competition. From the many schools that competed in the said event, the CSC garnered this prestigious citation.

The winning student writers are all senior editors of The CSC Statesman, the official tertiary student publication of the Catanduanes State Colleges.

About 160 student writers coming from private and state colleges and universities in Region V, including community colleges, took part in the annual regional writing competition. As regional winners, they will represent the CSC in the 5th Luzon-wide Higher Education Press Congress Individual and Group Writing Competitions to be held on the first week of February 2006 at Naga City.

Prominent journalists from the Philippine Daily Inquirer Southern Luzon Bureau, key officials from Philippine Information Agency and other government entities, media specialists from the academe and officials from Commission on Higher Education Regional Office V served as resource persons and judges during the 3-day event.

Most Reverend Jose C. Sorra, former Bishop of the Diocese of Legazpi, gave a lecture focusing on the overview of the Philippine media today as well as imparted insights on ethical standards about the trade during the final day of the press conference.

Addressing the more than 160 finest student journalists in the Bicol Region, the Catandunganon Bishop exhorted: “Media today is the most powerful and unpredictable of all human tools that now threatens to replace the Church, the school and the home, as the primary headmaster of the youth. Accordingly, you must respect it with awe, exercise it with honesty, diligence and responsibility. But above all, live out religiously media’s ethical tenets of Do’s and Don’ts. And you will surely enjoy it more as a vocation rather than just a moneymaking profession”.

The Bishop cited Isagani Yambot’s discussion on social responsibilities and competencies required of media – that is for "media practitioners to take a vow of poverty and obedience – poverty because journalism, particularly print journalism, does not pay very high salaries, and vow of obedience because you have to obey the laws governing media, the Canons of Taste, the ethical standards of the media”.

This year’s Regional Tertiary Schools Press Conference was organized by the Bicol Association of Tertiary Schools Publication Advisers in coordination with Commission on Higher Education Regional Office V.
(GSR)

CSC student wins 4th place in National CE Student Quiz

Devy S. Santos, a 5th year Civil Engineering student from the Catanduanes State Colleges once more reasserted her numerical supremacy by emerging as one of the top winners in the tightly contested National Civil Engineering Student Quiz held last November 17, 2005 at Centennial Hall, Manila Hotel.

WINSOME WINNER - Devy S. Santos proved once more her might in the recent National Civil Engineering Student Quiz. The Bicol Region Champion triumphantly flexed her mental muscle against other quiz whiz from 17 regions in the country, emerging as the 4th best contender.
(GSR/CSC)

From among the 17 brightest regional CE Student Quiz champions, Devi garnered the 4th place plum prize.

The 21-year old daughter of Noel Santos and Erlinda Sabeniano of Tariwara, Pandan, Catanduanes, pitted with other regional champions from the National Capital Region, Region III, Region VI and the Cordilleras in the decisive Finals Round.

Devy was earlier declared champion in the Regional Civil Engineering Student Quiz held on September 30, 2005 at Aquinas University in Legazpi City. She was coached by Engr. Michael Traballo, one of the faculty members of the CSC College of Engineering.

It can be recalled that Devy, together with Ruben Quintal Jr. May 2005 Civil Engineering Board topnotcher, made a historic back to back win during last year’s edition of the National Civil Engineering Quiz held at UP Diliman. (GSR)

CSC produces 3 more placers in November 2005 CE Board Exam

More and more graduates from the Catanduanes State Colleges are joining the league of board topnotchers and placers.

Six months after Ruben T. Quintal Jr. made waves as Civil Engineer Board Examination topnotcher, three of his classmates at the Catanduanes State Colleges College of Engineering likewise built their respective conquests in the same licensure test – two garnered the 12th place while one bagged the 16th slot.

Keyel L. Isorena and Nathaniel C. Turado tied on the 12th place with an average of 91.9 percent while Gilbert R. del Valle finished on the 16th spot with an average of 91 percent.

The three low-key board placers join 27 other graduates from the CSC who passed the Civil Engineer Board Examination given by the Professional Regulations Commission last November 19-20, 2005.

Isorena and Turado were bosom buddies, having been classmates from high school until college. They both stayed in the same boarding house during their review sessions but were on separate rooms during the board examinations.

BOSOM BUDDIES - Keyel, extreme left, and Nathaniel, extreme right, chill-out with their friends during their senior years in college.(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO - KLI)


Keyel is the son of Lorencito Isorena of Caramoran, Catanduanes, an employee in a local shipping company in the province and Betty Lao of Cabugao, Bato, Catanduanes, a storekeeper engaged in vending gasoline.

Keyel thought he just merely passed the exam, his parents related. “We were approaching Metro Manila to fetch him when he texted us the good news – that he passed the exam. But he later knew, upon information of his classmates, that he was the Top 12 in the board examination.”

Also making an impressive record on the 12th slot is Nathaniel C. Turado, son of Mr. Opero Turado of Bagamanoc, and Rebecca Camu of Virac. Nathaniel, graduated at Virac Pilot Elementary School and at Catanduanes National High School. (Keyel however studied at Cabugao Central Elementary School from Grades 1 to 5 and later transferred to VPES).

Nathaniel related that he has already a strong hunch that he will do well in the board exam. "Actually sir, Gilbert and I were 6th and 7th placers respectively sa mid pre-board sa review center", the former high school CAT Corps Commander said in an SMS interview. "Dakula talaga ang natuwang pag review, maski pa financially masakit, nagpursige man ang mga magurang ko. Kaya maisabi ko sa mga estudyante, higos lang talaga pati dedikasyon sa pag-adal", he imparted.

Gilbert del Valle, who placed 16th, related that he decided not to take the refresher course after their formal review sessions due to financial constraints. He opted for a self-study. A refresher course is given after the formal review sessions and a month before the examination

PRIDE OF HIS BIG AND HAPPY FAMILY - Gilbert takes a big leap towards achieving his dream - getting his college diploma on his graduation day last March 30, 2005. (GIANAN STUDIO)




Gilbert is the 3rd of the 11 children of Leoncio del Valle, a welder, and Luzviminda Rafael, a housekeeper, of Del Sur, Pandan, Catanduanes. He was the last to know that he placed 16th in the board exam. It was his parents who excitedly informed him that he was on the Top 20. They got the information from the Internet, he said.

Gilbert took his elementary grades at Pandan Central Elementary School and his secondary education at the Pandan School of Arts and Trades.

Getting the whereabouts of the three low-profile students were as reclusive as they are. As of press time, they are still in Metro Manila waiting for the oath taking registration at the PRC scheduled on December 1-13, 2005. Their mobile phones, which took many attempts to be finally reached, aided in getting first-hand accounts about their unprecedented feats.

For their achievement, the three will be receiving cash incentives from the Catanduanes State Colleges. In an earlier report disseminated by Dr. Asuncion V. Asetre, CSC President, the CSC Board of Trustees has approved, effective January 2005, the move of the administration to award CSC board topnotchers and placers. Board topnotchers will receive a cash inventive of P20,000 plus a Plaque of Recognition. Second to 10th placers will get P15,000.00 cash reward and a Plaque of Recognition while 11th to 20th placers will be given P10,000 and a Plaque of Recognition.

In a report by Engr. Charlie B. Hibo, Dean of the College of Engineering, the 27 other CE board passers from the CSC are: ABLE, Karen T.; ALMOJUELA, Melvin C.; ASUNCION, Dennis A.; BORROMEO, Joel V.; DELEÑA, Michael C.; GIANAN, Novelyn L.; MANOGUID, Lolita I.; MATIENZO, Alex J.; MOLINA, Mary Grace T.; OBO, Mark Vincent T.; PANTINO, Ryan T.; RAMOS, Karlo Andrew S., SARMIENTO, Lloyd B.; TABUZO, Leoncio III T.; TAJAN, Wilmar S.; TIBAR, Henry C.; TOMAGAN, Francois B.; VALEZA, Ruben Jr. D.; VALLEDOR, Gary V.; VARGAS, Lucio Jr, S.; VARGAS, Rey T.; VEGA, Julie T.; VEGA, Nieva V.; VEGA, Raymundo Jr. E.; VERANO, Terevi P.; VILLEGAS, Juvy V.; ZAFE, Maricel M.

The latest feat of the CSC College of Engineering once more strengthened its supremacy in the civil engineering education.

Meanwhile, the CSC has just tendered last November 11, 2005 a testimonial dinner for Merlen dela Cruz, 19th Placer in the October 2005 CPA Board Examinations.

For the record, the CSC produced one board topnotcher and four board placers this 2005, which is distinguished so far as the school’s most outstanding year in the field of licensure/board examinations.

Since 1992, the CSC College of Engineering has already produced 15 board topnotchers and placers, two of whom were First Placers and the rest either clinching in the Top Ten or in the Top Twenty slots. (GSR)