Agusan del Norte, Philippines – Female campus sports journalists outclassed their male counterparts in the secondary English and Filipino individual sports writing competition during the National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) staged here recently by the Department of Education (DepEd).

This was learned from the DepEd’s Bureau of Secondary Education officials who announced the winning sports scribes during the culminating program of the week-long NSPC that was hosted by the Caraga Region using the Father Urios University (high school) as contest venues.

Education Undersecretary for Programs and Projects Yolanda S.Quijano, closing rites speaker, said the NSPC, which was participated in by leading school penpushers from l17 regions, is the mental counterpart of the Palarong Pambnsa – the country’s premier schools sports competition.

The annual event is a major DepEd program that seeks to upgrade the journalistic skills of basic education students, and to promote a balance between freedom of expression and responsible journalism.

A Central Visayas (CV) sports journalist who belongs to the weaker sex, Sheila Jane Ylagan, topped the high school English writing competition where a Northern Mindanao female sports writer, Rizza Jalit, placed overall third.

Male school sports scribes took the other top ranks with Joy Mark Jabby of Caraga garnering the No. 2 post, John Kevin Amador of Southern Mindanao placed No. 4, Mark Joseph Ebasco also of Northern Mindanao ranked No. 5, and Kristoff Mosalito of Caraga is No. 6.

In the Filipino high school sports writing category, five of seven top winners were followers of Eve.

They were Pamela Gozon who placed overall first, Angeline Muriel Escutron – third, Marilyn R. Torres – fifth, Genevieve Quimal of Ilocos – sixth, and Abegail Manuel who placed seventh. (Tony Pe. Rimando)