PASAY CITY, June 24, 2019 – Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones commended the Rotary Club of Manila for holding a chorale competition for high school learners as one of the highlights of its centennial celebration at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on June 21.

“Many of you know that we [DepEd] are undergoing an extensive transformation of our education system. We just added two years of senior high school program. We have not forgotten music and the arts, as a major strand, a major field of choice for our learners. In addition to science and technology, engineering, mathematics, sports, vocational training, we have never forgotten arts, culture, particularly music.”

Likewise, Briones related the musical competition to the Department’s National Festival of Talents, which showcases the talents and skills of Filipino learners in different events as evidence of their learning in various areas, and hoped the competition will be held yearly: “Thank you Rotary for sponsoring this competition, which, hopefully from the DepEd side, would become part of an annual event.”

Briones further stressed how being part of choral groups help learners to be “good citizens”: “Of all the forms of musical expression, I love chorale singing best. This is because, generally, there are no soloist. No one sticks out. We have different section. We sing in different parts, but we sing in harmony and we are disciplined by our conductor.”

Talented learners from Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ramon Magsaysay High School (RMHS) in the National Capital Region (NCR), Zeferino Arroyo High School (ZAHS) in Region V, Negros Oriental High School (NOHS) in Region VII, and General Santos National High School (GSNHS) in Region XII were among the finalist of the Rotary Club of Manila’s chorale competition.

The choral group from (GSNHS) in Region XII bagged the first place in the chorale contest, while BCNHS in CAR took the second place. RMHS in NCR, NOHS in Region VII, and ZAHS in Region V won the third, fourth, and fifth places, respectively.

DepEd Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio, Bureau of Learning Delivery Director Leila Areola, Rotary Club International President-elect Mark Daniel Maloney, and Rotary Club of Manila’s President Jesus Pineda also graced the event.

“This contest could not come at the most opportune time. At the time of debate, at the time of argument, Rotary [Club of Manila] is calling us to sing together in harmony, and we are teaching our learners that,” Briones concluded. 

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