In her third year of joining schools press conferences, Xavier University High School emerges as the top-performing private school and overall first runner-up in the Division Schools Press Conference held at Xavier University Grade School Macasandig and Pueblo campuses in Cagayan de Oro City on September 11-12. 

 

Participated by more than 3,000 students from both private and public schools in the division, XUHS, through PAGASA, the official school publication of XUJHS, finished with 20 awards in the Individual Category and 4 awards in the Group Category. 

 

Thirteen of the winners qualified for the regional level (RSPC) to be held in Gingoog City in October. 

 

“Aside from the determination to win, it is equally important to remain focus to the goal by attending regularly to training and maintain a presence of mind during the actual contest,” said Zle Yee, DSPC champ for Photojournalism – English category. 

 

DSPC seeks to prepare young journos to regional and national levels while honing student-journalists with relevant journalistic skills, engendering social awareness, national building, and responsible journalism. 

 

“Campus journalism is cognizant to our mission to ignite the passion for truth and justice," said Juanito R Oliveria II, PAGASA moderator and coach for DSPC Individual Category. "Giving our students the platform to be the voice of the truth is crucial in their roles of becoming future leaders of the nation.” 

 

The competition showcases the journalistic skills of the students in the fields of news writing, editorial writing, editorial cartooning, column writing, feature writing, science and technology writing, sports writing, photojournalism, copyediting and headlining; radio and TV broadcasting, collaborative desktop publishing, and online publishing. 

 

“Despite the limited time of preparation and practice [only 2 formal days], our student-journalists still managed to conquer the limits by making it to the top spots of the competition,” said Maria Liesa L Millan, PAGASA co-moderator and coach.

 

This year, the journalism tilt was anchored on the theme "Fostering 21st Century Skills and Character-based Education Through Campus Journalism."

 

“It is not easy to prepare students in big competitions like this but seeing how these young journalists prepare and perform amidst limitations is just fulfilling and inspiring at the same time,” said Jade Alfie Sale, Xu Senior High School journalism coach.

 

The yearly conference is in pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 7079 or the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, and DepEd Memorandum No. 216, s. 2016.∎