by: Samantha Macabit || Photo Credit: Pakaritay FB Page

The Philippine Science High School-Eastern Visayas Campus (PSHS-EVC) finished as overall champion in this year’s University of the Philippines (UP) Sidlangan Pakaritay Competition held via Zoom last February 9-11.

Celebrating its 40th year with the theme “Public Leaders as Movers for National Recovery,” Pakaritay aims to promote responsible voting with the visualization of a Filipino society where all citizens are more empowered to use their votes in a positive manner for the country.

The annual event is composed of various contests, such as the Quiz Show and Poster Making, along with Essay Writing and Extemporaneous Speaking in both English and Filipino categories. 

Out of all the participants, 10th graders Charles Joshua Uy, Sebastian Andre Mercado, and Teddy Niño Mari, bagged 1st place in the Quiz Show. Nathalia Canlas and Quiara Niña Vera Macasa were awarded 2nd place in Extemporaneous Speaking and Patimpalak sa Di Handang Talumpati, respectively.

9th grader Poimen Deb Agnila won 1st place in Essay Writing, while Vince Lyra Boonyarat finished third and Juliana Regina Trocino grabbed first place  in the junior and senior categories for the Patimpalak sa Pagsusulat ng Sanaysay, respectively.

In an interview, Agnila stated that they were tasked to write their opinion on whether the political situation of the country benefits from micro-influencers.  

She mentioned that the topic is relevant in society as misinformation is tenacious, especially on social media. 

“If you add the fact that posts and/or videos on Facebook or YouTube spread like wildfire, micro-influencers hold much more power over the political situation in our country than we like to think,” she emphasized. 

She also expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the organizers in conducting a well-organized competition, describing her experience as enjoyable.