Two school districts have dominated a major regional talent competition, with Oriental Mindoro sweeping foreign language contests while Occidental Mindoro led in cultural arts.

The three-day Festival of Talents, held in Tagaytay City, Cavite, saw students from seven districts in MIMAROPA region compete across language, cultural, and academic categories.

Students from Domingo Yu Chu National High School in Oriental Mindoro claimed all major foreign language prizes.

Gian Andrei De Ramos won the Spanish exposition category, while Nikka Afable topped Chinese Mandarin.

In composition events, Mhica Joyce Perez and Jhamaica Rhiane Mendoza secured first place in Spanish and Chinese Mandarin respectively.

Occidental Mindoro achieved notable success in cultural arts, winning the overall division performance award in Sining Tanghalan.

The district’s teams won first place in both Bayle sa Kalye (street dancing) and Katutubong Sayaw (indigenous dance) categories. They also secured second place in Likhawitan (creative writing) and third place in Direk Ko, Ganap Mo! (film directing).

In the literary competitions, Occidental Mindoro’s English language team placed second in the Story Resolution Challenge of the Read-A-Thon event.

“These achievements reflect the outstanding dedication of both students and teachers,” said Dr. Loida Adornado, Occidental Mindoro’s district superintendent. “From foreign languages to traditional arts, they have demonstrated exceptional skill.”

The three-day festival, held from February 12-14, 2025 at Angels’ Hills Retreat and Formation Center, drew competitors from seven districts across MIMAROPA region, including Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Calapan City, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, and Puerto Princesa City.

Behind Oriental Mindoro’s language success was a team of dedicated coaches: Anthony Marquez, Rose Ann Cruz, Donna Mendoza, Corazon Saguid, Madelita Lucido, and Evalyn Miguel. Their students’ performance earned the district the title of Top Performing Division in the SPFL Lingo Stars category.

Other competition categories included STEMazing for science projects, Histopop for historical presentations, and various performing arts categories, showing the festival’s commitment to fostering both academic and artistic excellence.

Photos: courtesy of DepEd Oriental and Occidental Mindoro