TEST OF KNOWLEDGE Students from various senior high schools in Baguio City battle it out for the INQskwela Quiz Bee held on May 10 at the Training Hall of the Department of Education Baguio Office. The contest brought together 38 students from 19 schools to test their knowledge of news and current events. —ALLAN MACATUNO
BAGUIO CITY—Hans Dorothy Bolinget, 16, a senior at Pines City National High School, volunteered to represent her campus at the INQskwela Quiz Bee that was recently held here as part of the educational advocacy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI).
With little preparation, Bolinget did not set high expectations for herself going into the contest held May 10 at the Baguio City Department of Education (DepEd) office.
But drawing confidence from her passion for reading, especially about the news and current events, she aced the easy-level questions in the first round. Later, this advantage of being a comprehensive reader further showed as she piled up points in the moderate and challenging categories.
Eventually emerging as champion, she bested 37 other students from 19 high schools in the summer capital. “Being aware of what’s happening around us is very important, especially for the youth,” she told the Inquirer after the tournament.
For the second placer, 18-year-old Shanna Mae Baltazar of Baguio City High School, she would cherish the experience, especially as a campus journalist.
Fear of ignorance
“What I fear is ignorance. If you are not aware of what’s happening around you, then you’ll be left behind and lose the opportunity to get relevant information that you can use in life,” the 12th grader said.
Third-place winner Zhajara Honor, 18, of Pinget National High School, credited her teacher, who helped prepare her for the quiz bee by making the class read the news regularly.
“When people are not aware of what’s happening around them, it can become problematic. There are issues in our community and we should get involved and help in any way we can,” Honor said. “My advice to (fellow students) is for them to read a lot. It not only helps improve your reading comprehension but also develops critical thinking.”
The Baguio edition was the third staging of the Inqskwela Quiz Bee, with the first two held respectively at the Inquirer office in Makati City in February 2020 and at Valenzuela City School of Math and Science in June 2022.
The quiz questions were formulated based on reports published in the Inquirer a few months before the contest. The contestants came from the partner public schools of INQskwela. In this program, the InquirerPlus app—the newspaper’s digital replica—is made available to students and teachers as supplemental learning material to use in class.
Thanks to local government support, the program currently has a total of 20 partner schools in Baguio, where more than 4,800 students and 62 teachers enjoy free access to the app.
For classrooms, libraries
“We are more than glad to know that (the [InquirerPlus app) is one of the resources that learners could readily depend on, especially in the areas of HUMMS (humanities and social sciences) and ABM (accountancy, business and management),” DepEd Baguio Schools superintendent Soraya Faculo said in her welcome remarks before the quiz bee proper.
“We have seen so many ways in which [the students and their teachers] are using this app. Aside from aiding discussions in the classroom, they are also used in the libraries,” Faculo said.
Armi Victoria Fiangaan, the DepEd Baguio education program supervisor, also recognized the importance of the INQskwela partnership.
‘Situational awareness’
“Learners should be aware of what’s happening around them. They should also know how to filter information. They should know what is real and what is true,” Fiangaan said in an interview. “From the partnership, there are so many benefits not only for the learners but also for the teachers.”
Drawing content “from the correct channel” is crucial, especially in a classroom setting, she added. “We have the internet, but not everything on it is correct information. Teachers can use the (Inquirer) digital articles in different activities.”
Also gracing the May 10 event, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said students, as they acquire knowledge and develop skills, should start asking themselves: “What can I contribute when I get out (of school)? What can I give to my community to solve a problem?”
In his speech, Magalong said being aware of social and political issues should go hand in hand with learning math and science. “We give so much focus to algebra, science and biology (but) we don’t know what’s happening in our surroundings. We should develop situational awareness.”
The mayor recalled how he willingly accepted the INQskwela partnership when it was offered to Baguio City last year.
Also addressing the students, Connie Kalagayan, the Inquirer assistant vice president for corporate affairs and executive director of Inquirer Foundation, said: “We hope that, by making reading a daily habit, you are also developing your critical thinking.’’
Inquirer reporters Krixia Subingsubing and Dexter Cabalza served as the quiz masters. Also present were other key PDI officers behind the INQskwela program, namely national sales manager Roy Raul Mendiola, corporate affairs officer Bianca Kasilag-Macahilig, marketing director Dheza Paras and business development officer Roland Resuello.