About 70 high school editors and their advisers attended the Quipper Campus Journalism Training held at Catholic Ming Yuan College in Murcia, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, Aug. 10.
It was the first journalism training ever conducted for diocesan high schools in southern Negros, said Mark Jenel Magdato, Quipper Western Visayas and Negros Island area manager.
Magdato said the diocesan schools are partner institutions of Quipper, an education technology company that provides E-learning-related services.
Quipper tapped the services of journalist-educator Allen Carmen and his team of editors and writers to conduct the training which included topics covered under the Department of Education’s annual campus journalism program.
The participants were welcomed by CMYC Vice President for Academic Affairs Maryam Castel, with members of the college publication assisting in the training.
Niel Julius Campillanos, head of the Education Commission of the Diocese of Kabankalan, underscored the value of the campus press in the development of critical thinking among students.
It also promotes and enhances awareness of social issues among the students, said Campillanos, who is the principal of Immaculate Conception Academy in Dancalan, Ilog.
The participating diocesan schools were Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Michael’s Academy, both located in Hinoba-an; Sipalay City’s Cabarrus Catholic College and Holy Rosary Academy; St. Columban’s Academy (Cauayan) and St. Joseph High School (Inayauan, Cauayan); and Immaculate Conception Academy and San Blas Academy (Binalbagan).
Also participating was the publication staff and adviser of La Consolacion College – Murcia.
The student writers were introduced to the basic principles in writing news, features and opinion articles as well as on the visual requirements of campus publications.
They were also given inputs vital in the production of online publications and in editing articles.
Advisers had separate sessions on publication management, including organizing the staff, designing the publication and media ethics.
Capping the one-day training were the induction of the newly-formed association and recognition of the three outstanding outputs.
We had a great learning experience – we gained many useful insights, participants summed up in their evaluation. Through this training, my students and I gained knowledge and skills that will be helpful in the dissemination of information not only on campus but also all the way to the community, an adviser said in her evaluation.
Resource persons were lawyer Joevel Bartolome, Nida Buenafe, Easter Anne Doza, Nanette Guadalquiver, Mark Christopher Dueñas, Francis Ryan Pabiania and Del Carmen.
Inspired by the outcome of the training, Magdato said his organization will consider expanding the journalism program to include other partners in Negros and Panay.
QUIPPER: A Learning Management System
Fifty-five schools and counting.
This is the number of partner institutions Quipper is engaged with in the Negros Island and Western Visayas Regions.
Quipper is an education technology company that provides e-Learning, coaching, tutoring, and assessment services.
As an LMS, or a Learning Management System, our engaging content is aligned with approved curricula for K-12, said Mark Jenel Magdato, Quipper area manager for Western Visayas and Negros Island Region.
Quipper operates in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. It was founded in 2010 in London, United Kingdom.
The company started its Philippine program in 2014. Today, it has almost 400 partner schools in the country.
The Quipper LMS, according to Wikipedia, “is used in different ways in each country where it operates. It contains locally-developed content and is supplemented with additional services for teachers, students, school administrators, and other stakeholders in each country where it operates.”
Magdato, a licensed professional teacher, who majored in Language and Literature, is a native of Murcia.
He joined Quipper in 2020 as an account officer and became the regional team leader in 2023 prior to his appointment as area manager in March this year.
Specifically, he said, Quipper provides an LMS with ready-made content for the teachers and students.
“We also design a tailored implementation program for each school to help them effectively and efficiently use our platform,” he said, adding that infrastructure assistance is also provided for the schools.
Partner institutions, he further said, are given the opportunity to participate in exclusive seminars on the use of Quipper in alignment with the school’s curriculum and well as in international benchmarking on the use of educational technology tools.
The Quipper area executive said he finds great satisfaction and career fulfillment “in helping schools transition from traditional to digital learning.”
And, as he reiterated at the closing program of the Quipper Campus Journalism Training, the company will “further activate partnership with both public and private institutions” through its various programs and activities, like the training of student editors and their advisers.
Sipalay student: Top writer
John Raymund Hebionada of Sipalay City’s Holy Rosary Academy emerged the Most Outstanding Writer in the Quipper Campus Journalism Training held in Murcia on Aug. 10.
The HRA editor took top honors in all two workshops he joined – sports writing and science and technology reporting.
HRA edged by one point second-overall placer San Blas Academy of Binalbagan, which also topped two events, with St. Columban’s Academy placing third overall.
Joining Hebionada as double winners are SBA’s Paul Villa (third in both news writing and feature writing) and SCA’s Yeshuan Bell Trongcoso, also third in science and technology reporting and sports writing.
The three top winners in the eight contests:
NEWS WRITING: 1. Jasmine Janeo (SCA) 2. Johanna Togonon (SBA) 3. Paul Villa (SBA).
FEATURE WRITING: 1. Yanna Abrielle Claridad (ICA) 2. Mehriel Tembrevilla (SMA) 3. Paul Villa (SBA).
SPORTS WRITING: 1. Jan Raymund Hebionada (HRA) 2. Sabin Joy Rapis (SJHS) 3. Yeshuan Belle Trongcoso (SCA).
COPYREADING & HEADLINING: 1. Julian Cordero (SBA) 2. Joschelle Tembrevilla (SMA) 3. J-An Sampani (SJHS).
SCI/TECH REPORTING: 1. Jan Raymund Hebionada (HRA) 2. Khian Oscar Banay (LCC-M) 3. Yeshuan Belle Trongcoso (SCA).
COLUMN WRITING: 1. Lea Mae Jacosalem (OLSA) 2. Althea Pabingut (SCA) 3. Savannah Kalitta (HRA) & John Paul Imperial (CCC).
PHOTOJOURNALISM: 1. Curt Denver Canja (SBA) 2. Jerson Lego III (HRA) 3. Ruffa Mae Vingno (ICA).
CARTOONING: 1. Jenelyn Latic (CCC) 2. Yesha Marienne Ong (CCC) 3.Jerson Lego (HRA)
San Blas, Cabarrus lead association
San Blas Academy of Binalbagan through its school paper adviser, Lorens Jay Gerasmo, was elected to lead the newly-organized Negros Occidental Catholic School Paper Advisers Association.
The election was held as a highlight of the Quipper-sponsored Campus Journalism Training held at Catholic Ming Yuan College on Aug. 10.
Cabarrus Catholic College (represented by Marialyn Dereche) was elected vice president.
Other officers are Holy Rosary Academy (Doren Chris Canoy), secretary; Immaculate Conception Academy (Niezel Jane Ibañez), treasurer;
St. Michael’s Academy (Yvette Marie Agras), auditor; and St. Columban’s Academy (Jonesa Blase), PIO. The members of the board of directors are La Consolacion – Murcia (Maricel Onboy), St. Joseph’s High School (Newly Bolado) and Our Lady of Sorrows (Nerissa Sacayan). | CMYC Publication, FRPabiania, EADoza & AVDC photos
