A high school student from Zamboanga City and a gradeschool pupil from General Santos City emerged champions in their respective levels during this year’s National Super Quiz Bee grand finals staged recently in Tagaytay City by the Quiz Bee Foundation and the Department of Education (DepEd).

The two champions were Mike Kenneth Dorotan, 16 of Zamboanga Ching Hua High School and Jemmuel Marcella, 11, of General Santos City’s Dadiangas West Central Elementary School. (Tony Pe Rimando)

Writers are invited to send entries in screenplay, poem, short story and other categories. There are two divisions, English and Tagalog plus another division in some dialects for the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. The complete contest rules, entry form and authorization form can be downloaded from www.fapweb.org.

The Palanca is the most prestigious literary competition in the country. A symposium will be held in March where guest speakers will give pointers on how to write a winning piece for the contest. Invitation to the symposium will be posted in www.fapweb.org.

The Philippine-American Educational Foundation (PAEF) announces the Fulbright and Fulbright-Philippine Agriculture Scholarship Program Academic (FPASP) scholarship competitions for the 2006-2007 school year.

The Fulbright Scholarship Program is intended for Filipinos interested in pursuing graduate (master’s or Ph.D.) and doctoral enrichment or doctoral dissertation research studies in the United States. All areas of study are eligible except engineering, medicine and related fields, and applied mathematics and applied sciences. The Fulbright-Philippine Agriculture Scholarship Program, established to meet the country’s immediate need to modernize its agriculture and fisheries sectors, awards Filipinos interested in pursuing graduate (master’s and Ph.D.) and non-degree (doctoral enrichment, doctoral dissertation research, and advanced research) studies in agriculture, fisheries and forestry. Applications can be downloaded on the PAEF website www.paef.org.ph.

A one-day Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Parents Congress with the theme: "Anak, Ikaw ay Henyo, Eh Paano?" will be held at the Baguio City National High School Auditorium on February 19, 2005. This is organized by the Center for Learning and Teaching Styles, Philippines in coordination with the Department of Education – CAR Regional Office, the Association of Private School Administrators, Inc.; Association of Secondary Public School Heads; PESPA-CAR; and the Federation of Baguio PTCAs. The aim of the confab is to equip parents with the necessary knowledge on enhancing the learning styles, emotional and multiple intelligences, creativity and giftedness of their children.

Filipinas who are employees or students of any college or university in Manila, preferably with Japanese lineage have the chance to go to Japan to represent the city in the 40th anniversary of sister city hood of Manila and Yokohama.

Qualified ladies will vie for the title of Miss Manila-Yokohama Ambassador of Goodwill and will win cash prizes, gift certificates and an all-expense paid trip to Japan. A project of Manila International Sister Cities Association (MISCA), in collaboration with Airtime Productions and Webstar Philippines, the reigning Ms. Manila-Yokohama will also spearhead several projects for the benefit of Manila’s street children.

For more information, log on to: http://www.100webster.com/manila-yokohama.

The Jose Rizal University alumni association will celebrate its 83rd alumni homecoming on February 13 at its campus in Mandaluyong City.

Dubbed as ‘Balik-Tanaw sa 2005,’ members of class ’55, ’65 and ’80 – silver, ruby and golden jubilarians – are the honorees of the homecoming which starts at 5 p.m.

Gen. Nestorio B. Gualberto, homecoming chairman, invites alumni to attend the affair which also coincides with the election of a new set of officers.

Registration begins at 3 p.m. For inquiries, call the alumni office at 531-80319.