VIGAN, Ilocos Sur—Department of Education assistant secretary G.H. Ambat appealed to some 200 participants of the “Communicate Sports”, a sports journalism seminar for the youth, to have an open mind and heart to learn from the two-day activity that kicked off at the Nueva Segovia Consortium Cooperative Hotel Vigan yesterday.
“We at DepEd are mining treasures out of our learners to bring out the gold. Knowing that you are already talented and gifted, as iron sharpens iron, feel that you are being sharpened. Never stop honing your talents and enhancing your skills. Seminars like this will prepare you for the world out there,” Ambat said.
Participants included students who have won in recent and past National Schools Press Conference or Regional Schools Press Conference from the 17 regions in the country.
Philippine Sports Commission Public Communications head Emmalyn P. Bamba said each region has at least five representatives of students and advisers. But the host region, Ilocos, had the most number of delegates.
Asec. Ambat continued, “storytelling doesn’t stop at the Palaro. As student journalists, we depend on you in spreading correct information, not fake news stories of DepEd. Napakaraming storya ng Palarong Pambansa, not only games. We have a lot of good athletes, write about them.”
The Palarong Pambansa 2018 is set to open here Sunday.
She also thanked the PSC for sponsoring the sports journalism seminar, which she said will go a long way in helping student writers develop their craft.
PSC Commissioner Charles Raymond A. Maxey, meanwhile, urged student journalists to read more. “Kung hindi kayo nagbabasa ng dyaryo or kahit sa news websites, hindi kayo matututo. Learning is a never-ending process. Dapat read, read and read. Never cease reading,” said Maxey.
PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram also urged the campus journalists to verify facts in their reports.
Maxey also presented the grassroot sports and elite sports programs of the PSC while Kiram oriented participants about the PSC.
This is the third stop of the PSC’s sports journalism seminar after the success of the first two legs held in Davao City and Batangas City.