THIRTY-SIX years have passed since Speechfest Foundation was officially launched in Davao with 32 speechcrafts, each of which was used to improve theatre education. Today, Speechfest Foundation has 80 speechcrafts used to express brilliance in artistry-skills with spiritual loading at its core.
Every year, the speechfesters live up to their goal of excellence as they grow in number while they continue to imbibe God's Word into their spirit.
With the foundation's motto, "Let go and let God", the speechfesters gather together at least every month to intensify relationships and artistry-skills as well as to underscore the importance of God in their lives.
For this Holy Week, the foundation is yet preparing another Siete Palabras to pay tribute to Christ's last words on the cross. Seven speechfesters are each tasked to orally annotate one of the last Words.
Every year, the foundation increases in number of members called accredited speechfester or Ax. An accredited speechfester has been tested in terms of his or her caliber-dynamics, intellect, artistry-skills, and character.
Every nominee, a professional who is interested to be a part of the foundation, will undergo a 130 engaging hours in accreditation cliniquing prior to hurdling a three-hour roasting-purging session. This session is a three-hour inventory appraisal of the nominee’s intellect and character with a five-man panel. After successfully passing the accreditation cliniquing and roasting-purging, the nominee will then be an Ax or duly installed and accredited speechfester.
Today, there are about 186 speechfesters who hold an advocacy. Among the specified advocacies are those that are inclined to spiritual loading, experiential intellection, theatre education, and speechfesting.
The Board of Trustees for service year 2010 who will be spearheading the different activities is composed of retired and active educators in the Davao Region. Through collegial election, nine accredited speechfesters made it to the list: Benilda J. Sunga as the Trustee Chair, Angelina F. Gabisan as Trustee President, Rogelio A. Hubahib, Sr. as Trustee Vice-President, Jan Michael A. Suriaga as Trustee Secretary, Juanita F. Villanueva as Trustee Treasurer, Laura Y. Elmido as Trustee Auditor, Erlina M. Manuzon as Trustee Business Manager, Arsenia G. Zanoria and Chanette D. Cadiente both as Sole Trustee.
The Speechfest Foundation is not only open for educators but to every professional who is willing to undergo cliniquing and self-cleansing of innerness. For this year and onwards, the foundation is open to nominees 21 years old and above. Those who are interested may contact the Prefect, Prof. Dr. Rudolph U. Paras' Jr.
Prof. Paras did gestation and laboratory cliniquing with Visayanian Podium scholars, with philosophy and theology seminarians at St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary in Catalunan Grande, Davao City. He did validation undertakings with professionals in academic forums on speechfestology and ultimately had launched the birth of Speechfest in Davao City on July 15, 1974.
The speechfesters, together with the Prefect, hope to continue to inspire others as they say, "The light that surrounds us, the love that unfolds us, the power that protects us, the presence that watches over us is God. For wherever we are, speechfesters, God is. Let go, let God." (Ax 186 Maria Gemima C. Valderrama)