By Liwayway Yparraguirre/PNA
DAGUPAN CITY — The city on Monday hosted this year’s Regional Festival of Talents (RFOT) participated in by students in elementary and high schools, Alternative Learning System, special education, and madrasa learners from the Ilocos’ 14 school divisions.
“It is one of the major competitions, which we consider as an academic competition among our students. It is a showcase of talents. Basically, we are showcasing not only the talents in arts, but also skills, like carpentry, electrical, landscaping, and others,” Department of Education (DepEd) 1 (Ilocos region) Director Malcolm Garma said in an interview on Tuesday.
“This is to show that DepEd, as an academic institution, is not only highlighting the academic excellence of our learners but also their skills and talents,” he said.
The Dagupan City Schools Division hosted RFOT 2018, which consisted of Technolympics (Technology and Livelihood Education and Technical-Vocational-Livelihood); Sining Tanghalan (Arts); Population Development (Araling Panlipunan); Tagisan ng Talino (Filipino); and Language Skills Competition.
In the selection of representatives in every school division, Garma said students go through the lower level, starting from the division level, then all the winners go up to the regional level. The winners in the region will compete at the national level.
The different competitions were held in different venues, while the participants were billeted in different schools. The Dagupan City National High School, for one, hosted two schools divisions, school principal Medarlo de Leon said.
This year’s theme is “Celebrating Diversity Through the Performance of Talents and Skills for Sustainable Inclusive Education”.
The hosting of the RFOT is a prelude to the holding here of the National Festival of Talents next year.
“It is a major national event in DepEd to be participated (in) by almost all the regions in the Philippines. We want to make the entire country feel the hospitality of Region 1, at the same time, showcase the beauty and the culture of Region 1 in particular, Dagupan City,” Garma added.
