SINCE 1965, Davao City schools have been sending their top students to participate in the Search for Davao City’s Most Outstanding High School Graduate (MOHSG), the flagship program of the Junior Chamber International-Davao, Inc. or JCI Davao.
The annual prestigious search aims “to inspire the youth to engage in more beneficial endeavors and encourage them to inspire for continuing excellence”. At the same time, it helped JCI Davao members to hone their skills in leadership and project management.
During the past grand culmination days, the chosen venue is expectedly bursting with energy as supporters from each school cheer and clap with gusto in an all-out show of support for their nominee, the pride of their alma mater.
But, from face-to-face panel interviews to jampacked auditoriums at the finals, the conduct of the MOHSG changed significantly when the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
“The unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic have compelled us, as the organizing committee of MOHSG’54 program, to conduct our series of activities in a virtual set-up to guarantee the safety of our nominees while ensuring the same level of engagement similar with the face-to-face version of activities in the previous years,” said Romeo Batestil Jr., MOHSG ’54 chairman.
Going digital
This year, the MOHSG ‘54 nominees underwent various virtual training and seminars on topics such as Digital Content Creation; the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG); Mental Health and Well-Being; and Leadership and Formation.
Applying what they learned, the participants created their respective digital content focusing on their assigned UNSDG advocacies. From claps and cheers of the past, showing support for one’s school and nominee now comes in the form of liking/reacting and sharing videos via digital platforms and social media pages.
“We only have two major criteria in selecting the MOHSG Grand Winner this year, which are the Scholastic Achievement and the Skills components. The Project Implementation component which has been part of our criteria in the past three years were excluded due to the current restrictions of LGUs and to protect our nominees from the risk of the infection,” explained Batestil.
The Scholastic Achievement is composed of the Nominee’s Portfolio pegged at 45% while the Skills Component is broken down as follows: Panel Interview: 15%; UNSDG Digital Content Presentation: 10%; Self Introduction: 10%; and Impromptu Speaking: 15%. Lastly, participation in all Official MOHSG Activities accounted for 5% of the Program Mechanics.
Best bets
Declared as the grand winner of this year’s MOHSG ’54 search is Julienne Antoinette Tan of Davao Christian High School who focused on Zero Hunger as her UNSDG advocacy.
“As a student leader and as a candidate for MOHSG, I am using this platform not just to share my own advocacies for social change. It is also to share my own story in hopes of influencing others. Maybe just one student in the crowd to believe in their own capability, to be an outstanding citizen of our country and to actualize their potential, to take change for the community which we serve. And, in that way, I create a legacy of change not only for my own acknowledgment as a brilliant student but truly, change for the community, for the generations of today and tomorrow,” Tan answered in her winning final impromptu speech.
The runners-up and their respective UNSDG advocacies are Miriel Dela Victoria of the Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) who bagged first-runner-up while Jose Nell Andrew Tumulak of Ateneo De Davao University-Senior High School (Gender Equality) emerged as second runner-up. Meanwhile, Marcy Nil Ogsoc of Philippine Women's College (Life Below Water) placed third runner-up, and Darlene Rose Legita of Philippine Science High School-Southern Mindanao Campus (No Poverty) was the fourth runner- up.
Other finalists included Faith Maureen Ursal (Davao City National High School), Jordan Mallari who also clinched the People’s Choice Award (University of Mindanao), Mae Rey Yarso (Bartolome R. Luardo National High School), Alfred Joey Sy (Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School) and Rean Pan (Los Amigos National High School).
Special thanks to Romeo Batestil Jr., MOHSG ’54 chairman, for the photos.
Congratulations to all the winners, finalists, and nominees of the MOHSG ’54 Search! Kudos to the JCI Davao for continuing this laudable program amidst this pandemic!
E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit http://momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com/.