The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) is inviting college students nationwide to participate in creative contests that carry the theme ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ (New Philippines).In a Facebook post on Saturday, the PCO announced that the ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ songwriting, essay writing, mural painting, and spoken word poetry contests are open to all enrolled college students nationwide.The entries may touch on the ‘Filipino youth’s aspirations for a Bagong Pilipinas or the inspirational Filipino excellence and unbreakable spirit that will enable this call-to-action realization.”All entries must be submitted by Nov. 20, 2023, not later than 5 p.m. Late submissions will not be accepted,’ the PCO said.Entries must be submitted to e-mail address milc@pco.gov.ph.For the songwriting contest, a maximum of 15 persons, including lyricist, songwriter, arranger, instrumentalist, and performer, may collaborate for a song that must not exceed four minutes and be in MP3 format.The judging criteria include melody (25 perc
ent), lyrics (25 percent), composition (20 percent), originality (15 percent), and performance (15 percent).The top five placers at the national level will receive PHP300,000, PHP250,000, PHP200,000, PHP150,000, and PHP100,000, in that order.The top three at the regional level will get PHP100,000, PHP75,000, and PHP50,000.Essay writingIn the essay writing contest, there should only be one entry per student. The essay must be in English and not exceed 1,500 words, using Times New Roman, size 12 font and single spacing.The essay must be submitted in PDF format and will be judged depending on its content (50 percent), organization (30 percent), and mechanics (20 percent).’The content of the essay must have relevance to the theme, comprehensiveness, originality, creativity in the exposition of the subject, insights or critical view. The composition of the essay must have clarity of thought, unity, and consistency. The essay must correctly use punctuation, capitalization and grammar,’ the PCO said.The top five nat
ional entries will be awarded PHP100,000, PHP75,000, PHP50,000, PHP30,000, and PHP10,000; while the regional topnotchers will receive PHP50,000, PHP30,000, and PHP10,000.Mural paintingFor the mural painting, a maximum of five students may collaborate for one entry that must have a minimum size of 8 feet by 12 feet.’The mural must be painted on any wall within the school premises, upon the approval of their respective school management. Participants may use any type of painting material,’ the PCO said. ‘A photo of the mural painting must be submitted in JPEG format.’The judging criteria include creativity and originality (30 percent), quality of art piece (30 percent), clarity of the theme (20 percent), and presentation (14 percent).The top five at the national level will receive PHP200,000, PHP150,000, PHP100,000, PHP75,000, and PH500,000.The participants at the regional level who will secure the first spot will get PHP100,000, while the second and third placers will receive PHP70,000 and PHP50,000, respectiv
ely.Spoken poetryStudents who wish to join the spoken word poetry contest must be in Filipiniana or Barong Tagalog and record their performances in well-lit rooms.They will be judged based on content (50 percent) and delivery and performance (50 percent).The video must be in MP4 format and the audio must be clear, with no ambient noise and no background music.The piece, written and performed in Tagalog, must be at least three minutes long and not exceed five minutes.The video background must be the Philippine flag and may be taken using a mobile phone or even a professional recording devices using a 16:9 horizontal orientation.The top five national winners will receive PHP150,000, PHP100,000, PHP75,000, PHP10,000, and PHP30,000.The top three regional winners will get PHP50,000, PHP30,000, and PHP10,000.’CommUnity’ short filmThe PCO is likewise encouraging college students to join the short film competition with the theme ‘Ano ang Bagong Pilipinas (What is a new Philippines)?’The short video must not exceed tw
o minutes, including credits, and will be judged based on creativity and originality; storytelling and narrative quality; technical execution; adherence to the theme; and overall impact and emotional resonance.There is no limit on the number of participants collaborating to make the film, the PCO said.’Participants are free to use any equipment for filming, ranging from smartphones to professional cameras. The emphasis should be on storytelling and creativity, rather than on the sophistication of equipment,’ it said.’Participants are expected to adhere to a high standard of ethical conduct. Any film containing offensive, discriminatory or inappropriate content will be disqualified,’ the PCO added.For the national championship, MacBook Air M2, Sony ZV E10 and Sigma 18-50 F2.8 lens, and Rode Wireless Pro will be given to the first placer; MacBook Air M2, Sony ZV E10 and kit lens to the second placer; and Crane M3s Gimbal, Sony ZV E10 and kit lens to the third placer.For the regional championship, PHP100,000, PH
P75,000, and PHP50,000 will be awarded to the top three.Participants may visit the PCO’s official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pcogovph) for additional details.In celebration of Communications’ Month 2023 this October, the PCO will spearhead campus caravans that will feature exhibition booths, media information literacy workshops, creative contests and competitions, panel discussions, Konsyerto sa Palasyo (Concert at the Palace) campus auditions, and internship information booth, among others.This year’s celebration will revolve around the theme, ‘CommUNITY: Nagkakaisang Tinig Tungo sa Bagong Pilipinas,’ aimed at magnifying and showcasing unity among government institutions by illustrating a whole-of-government approach in combating misinformation and disinformation while fostering a sense of unity among students and the youth.
Source: Philippines News Agency