ISUFST educators lead Western Visayas RSPC 2026

Two professors from the Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology (ISUFST) served as speakers on Feb. 9 and as chief judges on Feb. 10 at the Western Visayas Regional Schools Press Conference 2026 for the elementary level at Punta Villa Resort and Convention Center in Arevalo, Iloilo City.

The educators–language teacher, The Clarion publication adviser, and sustainability and international rankings focal person Dr. Rex Paulino, and math teacher, practicing columnist, and PAMMCO director Dr. Herman M. Lagon–were invited to guide young campus journalists in copyreading and opinion writing sessions before evaluating contestants’ outputs the following day.

Paulino served as chief judge and main resource speaker for copyreading and headline writing, while Lagon acted as chief judge and main resource speaker for column and editorial writing.

Each Schools Division Office sent 10 young journalists per category, competing in separate English and Filipino contests.

From each category, one winner will represent Western Visayas at the National Schools Press Conference on April 13–17, 2026, in Ormoc City, Leyte.

The professors will also participate in the secondary-level Regional Schools Press Conference on Feb. 13–14, continuing their roles as speakers and judges in their respective categories.

The RSPC is an annual competition organized by the Department of Education that gathers campus journalists from public and private elementary and secondary schools across Western Visayas.

The event serves as the region’s qualifying platform for the National Schools Press Conference and aims to promote responsible, ethical, and socially conscious journalism among student writers.

Contest categories include news, feature, editorial, sports, science and technology, and column writing, as well as copyreading, headline writing, photojournalism, and editorial cartooning in both English and Filipino, along with several group media competitions.

Through their roles as speakers and judges, the ISUFST educators mentored young writers and promoted clarity, balance, and courage in opinion writing, skills essential to fostering a more informed society.