By Angel Macapulay and Carol Anne Sansano
Photos by Gio Aaron De Guzman and Carol Anne Sansano
The Basic Faculty (Nursery to Grade 10) dazzled the crowd with their intense performances on the second day of Malaya: LuzViMinda, September 26, 2024, at the International Colleges for Excellence, Inc., hosted by Ma’am Marilyn V. Pojas. Prior to the competition proper, Ma’am Jacquelin L. Ordanza led the prayer, followed by the Luna and Agila’s doxology, and opening remarks by the Senior High School Director, Engr. Francis Marvin I. Lim, MEng.CoE.
Ma’am Marilyn then proceeded by introducing the board of judges. The first judge is Mr. Syd Jullian P. Pascua, a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in English at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Manila, and now he is both a content writer and a content marketing developer of companies based abroad. Our second judge is Ms. Luningning G. Agbanlog, she finished her bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Saint Louis University, Bagio and pursued a master’s degree in Social Work at University of Northern Philippines Vigan. The last judge, a former member of the ICE faculty, received one of the most prestigious awards for teacher in the entire country, “The Most Inspiring Teacher of the Philippines,” Mr. Aldrin S. Prangan.
Tadhana and Tanghalan
The first segment of the competition was the Tadhana along with Tanghalan. The groups popped-off in their educational and awe- inspiring vlog or video presentation incorporated with live singing, dancing, and acting, displaying the abundant culture and tradition of their region.
The first performance was delivered by “The Land of Promise,” group of Mindanao (Grade 1, Grade 4, and Grade 8). The next performers were from the center of the Philippine archipelago, the team Visayas (Nursery, Grade 5, Grade 10). Shortly after, it was followed by another performance by the largest division of the Philippines, land of Luzon (Grade 2, Grade 3, and Grade 9). And ended with the group that came from “Land of crystal-clear seas”, Palawan (Kindergarten, Grade 6, and Grade 7).
While waiting for the contestants of Rampa to prepare and freshen up, the event’s attendees were given a short break to eat their snacks, sit back, and relax as they watched the junior members of Tala perform an outstanding dance intermission number.
Rampa
Lower Elementary Edition
The first contestants were the representatives from the Mindanao group, Ms. Roelle Candi Flores and Mr. Drew Greyson Valdez. Followed by representatives from the Visayas group, Ms. Maria Noelle S. Villafania and Mr. Juancho Miguel P. Castolome. The competition continued with the performance of the representatives from the Luzon group, Ms. Kailey Ovia C. Escuin and Justin Roi P. Ramos. Last came the contenders from the Palawan group, Ms. Jeziah Amber L. Angud and Mr. Clark Matthew Y. Bitiw.
Upper Elementary Edition
First to present from the Upper Elementary is the Mindanao group, represented by Ms. French Eunice G. Larosa and Mr. Enrico Miguel R. Caoile. Next came representatives from the Visayas group, Ms. Jadah Elieza Tambio and Mr. Isaiah Cedric Porsuelo, followed by the Luzon group, the pair of Ms. Grachela Manipon and Mr. Liam Edison Delos Santos. The audience starts to scream “PALAWAN!” as Ms. Jewel Althea Negramza and Mr. Lancer Jim Marquez took the ramp wearing their traditional attires from Palawan.
Junior High School Edition
ICE was once awakened by screams as Ms. & Mr. MALAYA representatives from the Junior High School took the stage. The first candidates were from the Mindanao group, represented by Ms. Meagan Avelida and Mr. John Andrei Gajeton. The search for Ms. & Mr. Malaya continued with the Visayas group, represented by Ms. Crisxyla Audrey Lacsa and Mr. Ruben Corpuz. The third set of representatives came from the Luzon group, represented by Ms. Aliyah Samantha E. Pascua and Mr. Rexel Gem M. Ubando. Last but not the least, were the contestants from the Palawan group, Ms. Maria Chelsea Zapatero and Mr. Ben Reynard Palispis.
Teachers Edition
The court was ablaze with excitement as ICE teachers joined the candidates for Mr. & Ms. MALAYA 2024. They also modeled traditional attires representing their group.
The students were showered with words of wisdom from Teacher Darren Zorolla and Teacher Stephanie Joy Galapate shared their understanding of “MALAYA”, along with absolute execution of their costumes from Mindanao. They were followed by Teacher Kristine Bielgo and Teacher Jeanelle G. Parrocha from Visayas with their attires featuring Visayas garments.
The crowd started to shout and cheer more as their beloved teachers from the Elementary and Junior High School Department took the stage. The contestants from Luzon were Teacher Joy Fe Vinluan-Umang and Teacher Gilson Echalar. The two teachers showed their unbelievable talents and skills when it comes to elegant walks (rampa) and the confidence of speaking in front of many audiences.
The last contestants were the pair of Teacher Aileen Jazarino Zamora and Teacher Darwin M. Erangare from the Palawan group. The last performers showed their infinite passion and determination in executing the traditional clothing of the Palawan.
The Mr. And Ms. Malaya part was followed by a number from Agila, who showed outstanding performances throughout the event. This was followed with the singing of the ICE Hymn and the closing remarks of Mrs. April Joy I. Lim-Josef, LPT, MA.Ed. The event ended with a closing prayer led by Ma’am Stephanie Galapate.
Finally, the most awaited moment of the event came — the announcement of the winners for the different contests. The audience – parents, teachers, and especially the students – felt the tension in the air rising as the winners were announced, knowing fully-well that all of contestants gave their best along with hard work, dedication, and sacrifices.
Tadhana: The group of Palawan (Kindergarten, Grade 6, and Grade 7 class) claimed the championship of Tadhana.
Tanghalan: The competitors for Tanghalan were evenly matched. However, Palawan remained on top of their game claiming their second championship title (Kindergarten, Grade 6, and Grade 7 class).
Rampa:
Lower Elementary: For the lower elementary the group, it was Mr. and Ms. Palawan (Jeziah Amber L. Angud and Clark Matthew Y. Bitiw) who were crowned champions, bagging another title for Palawan.
Upper Elementary: For the upper elementary, Mr. Visayas (Isaiah Cedric Porsuelo) and Ms. Mindanao (Roelle Candi Flores) managed to win champion titles.
Junior High School: Amongst the contestants from the junior high school, Ms. Luzon (Aliyah Samantha E. Pascua) and Mr. Palawan (Ben Reynard Palispis) got the top awards.
Teachers Edition: Out of all the participating teachers, Teacher Daren Zorolla brought home the title for his very supportive group, so to say, “Wow, Mindanao!”
Overall Ranking:
Champion – Palawan (Kindergarten, Grade 6, and Grade 7)
1st Runner Up – Visayas (Nursery, Grade 5, and Grade 10)
2nd Runner Up – Mindanao (Grade 1, Grade 4, and Grade 8)
3rd Runner Up – Luzon (Grade 2, Grade 3, and Grade 9)