DAGUPAN CITY — The Department of Education (DepEd) here is almost ready for the upcoming National Festival of Talents (NFOT) to be attended by 3,500 delegates from across the country.
In an interview Friday, Alfred Gonzales, DepEd-Dagupan spokesperson for NFOT, said the remaining preparations for the festival involve some construction and inspection of billeting areas for the delegates, and provision of contest materials.
Gonzales said a total of 17 elementary and secondary schools in the city will be used as billeting areas for participants of the festival, which will be staged on January 29 to February 1.
He noted that DepEd-Dagupan met with the Dagupan City Police, Public Order and Safety Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Red Cross – Pangasinan Chapter regarding security plans to ensure the safety of the participants.
“We have allotted at least two jeepneys for each billeting area that would take the participants to the contest venue, which will be in CSI Stadia, a university, and some more schools in the city,” he added.
Medical stations with nurses will also be set in each school, while teachers of the respective schools will assist the students or delegates, 24 hours a day, by shift throughout the event, Gonzales said.
The Bureau of Fire Protection and the Dagupan City police, along with other concerned government agencies, inspected and approved the safety of the schools that would serve as billeting areas, he further said.
“A traffic rerouting scheme is in place while classes are suspended in private and public elementary and secondary schools in the city on the opening parade on January 29. Classes will resume in private schools on the following day but the suspension will continue in public schools as the teachers will assist during the duration of this national event,” Gonzales said.
NFOT aims to showcase the skills and talents of students in various areas.
This year’s NFOT will feature Technolympics for technology and livelihood education and technical-vocational livelihood, Special Program in the Foreign Language, Pambansang Tagisan ng Talento for Filipino, National Population Quiz and On-the-Spot Skills Exhibition in Population Development (PopDev), Sining Tanghalan for Music and Arts, and song writing and choral group competition.
A report from the Dagupan City Information Office showed this would be the first time that the NFOT will include learners with disabilities and out-of-school youth, in line to this year’s theme “Celebrating Diversity through the performance of Talents and Skills for Sustainable Inclusive Education”.