5th Benguet Teachers Sports Fest 2019 opens

August 19, 2019 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The 5th annual Benguet Teachers’ Day Sports Fest was officially opened last Saturday, August 10 at the Kings College of the Philippines – Gymnasium (KCP), in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Education – Schools Division of Benguet (DepEd – SDO) and the Municipality of La Trinidad, Benguet with this year’s theme, “Teachers for Gender Equality”.

Different schools from public, private, technical – vocational (TechVoc) and state universities came together for the grand declaration of this prestigious sporting affair which aims to promote camaraderie, sportsmanship, and a healthy lifestyle through a month-long calendar of events amongst different educational sectors.

Deped – SDO Superintendent, Marie Carolyn B. Verano CESO VI, declared the games with a twist to this year’s grouping format as its first innovative touch after four years.

Verano also shared the advantages this activity has brought to its teachers the past years and encouraged them to be more active with at least one sport each.

“We always advise our coaches, teachers in MAPEH, and especially those teachers in almost all subject areas, who are handling multi-grade level, to model what they are teaching, and to also have at least one sport,” Verano said.

The new formation for this year’s teams are divided into eight groups, namely, the Elementary Private Schools; Secondary Private Schools; Private Higher Education; Technical – Vocational (Tech-Voc); DepEd Elementary; DepEd Secondary; State University; and the Schools Division of Benguet or the Non – Teaching Staff.

Vice Governor Johnny D. Waguis also gave a speech during the opening, voicing out teachers to appreciate themselves more and calling out the lack of knowledge of the public during Teachers Day, regardless of the municipal ordinance the Sangguniang Panglalawigan passed last 2013 entitled the “Teachers Day Ordinance”.

Waguis proceeded to encourage our educators to celebrate this month and praised them for their hard work. “The officials of schools should also help designate this information, from elementary private school, elementary public school and the like, and actually the Teachers Day Committee is doing a great job,” Waguis said.

Teachers Day Committee Chairperson and KCP Director of External Affairs Angeline T. Bugtong, PhD, expressed her gratitude to the different schools that pushed through to attend the opening regardless of the inclement weather during that day.

Bugtong also added a new touch to this year’s registration, making it a Zumba themed registration, plastering smiles from left to right that became obvious before the program started.

The different schools are now aiming for the chance to garner titles in Basketball (Men & Women); Volleyball (Men & Women); Badminton; Chess; Scrabble; and more. There will be a weekly elimination of team players until the Awarding Ceremony on September 27, 2019.

Reign Peace B. Keryao/ABN