DSSC Chronicles

18/09/2026

𝗗𝗦𝗦𝗖'𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗹𝘁, 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀

Pabi B. Alarba, a Bachelor of Secondary Education student majoring in Filipino at Davao del Sur State College (DSSC), emerged as the Regional Winner and National Qualifier in the College Category of the Tinig at Panulat Para sa Lingkod Bayani Essay Writing Competition organized by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in commemoration of its 126th anniversary.

The victory earned Alarba a spot in the national round of the competition, where she will represent Region XI against qualifiers from across the country.

Alarba said her journey to the competition began when her Filipino major instructor, Dominador Jr. Maquillan, encouraged their entire class to participate as part of their essay-writing course requirements.

"Meron kaming kurso sa aming major patungkol sa pagsulat ng sanaysay, kung kaya hinikayat niya ang buong klase na sumali sa patimpalak," Alarba said.

She shared that while the opportunity to compete and the possibility of winning a cash prize motivated her, the primary goal was to challenge herself and apply the writing skills she had developed in class.

The inspiration for her winning essay came from her own leadership journey as president of SAMAFIL. Reflecting on her first experience leading an organization, Alarba transformed the uncertainties and pressures she encountered into the central theme of her piece.

"Bakit hindi gamitin yung experience at thoughts as a newbie leader para makagawa ng sanaysay?" she said.

Her essay portrayed leadership through the symbolism of an ant, departing from the common association of leaders with powerful animals such as lions or eagles. Alarba explained that she identified more closely with the ant because of its perseverance, adaptability, teamwork, and resilience despite its small size.

Rather than relying on an elaborate writing strategy, Alarba said she focused on writing sincerely by connecting her personal experiences with the competition's theme and her reflections during the celebration of Buwan ng Wika.
Despite being a first-time participant in a regional essay-writing competition, Alarba's authentic storytelling earned her the top regional recognition and a place in the national competition.

For aspiring writers, she encouraged students to participate without fear of failure, emphasizing that every completed essay is already an accomplishment.

"Sa pamamagitan ng pagsusulat, mas makikilala ninyo ang inyong sarili," she said.

Alarba is set to represent Region XI in the national competition, with the Civil Service Commission scheduled to officially recognize the winners during the Tinig at Panulat Para sa Lingkod (Championship) on Sept. 28, 2026, at the National Library of the Philippines in Ermita, Manila.

✍🏻: 𝐖𝐲𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐧
👨‍💻: 𝐉𝐲𝐠𝐳 𝐈𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐠𝐨 | 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐨

17/09/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁! 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 | 𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬? 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙄𝙨 𝙖 𝙉𝙚𝙚𝙙, 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙍𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙

Dili man ing-ani ang college sa wattpad.

Have you felt the weight of college already?

The tasks, reportings, studying, quizzes, exams, barely making the passing score, or sometimes, barely passing a subject. Students are constantly placed where responsibilities pile up and somehow finds a way to overwhelm them.

Because students are not just students. They are daughters, sons, part-timers, organization officers, friends, and leaders. They carry different responsibilities, different expectations, and often, a certain kind of pressure that does not disappear when the school day ends.

After school, there are chores, part-time jobs, activities, deadlines, and responsibilities waiting.

It is never just school and rest.

And that is what students tend to brush away most easily: rest.

We treat sleep like something we earn only after everything is finished. We say, “I’ll sleep after this,” then after the next task, and then the next one. Eventually, exhaustion becomes part of the routine. But research suggests otherwise.

Research suggests that it is part of what allows students to perform in the first place. Griggs et al. (2022), in a systematic review of 19 randomized controlled trials involving 766 young adults, found that sleep deprivation negatively affected cognitive performance, alertness, mood, and psychomotor vigilance. In other words, being rested is not simply about feeling less tired. It affects how we function.

Rest is a must to conquer another day. So perhaps we need to stop treating rest as the thing we do after everything else.

The deadlines can wait until tomorrow. The assignments can be finished one at a time. You can pause without being lazy, sleep without feeling guilty, and breathe without having to justify it.

Because college asks a lot from you.

It should not have to take everything.

Reference:
Griggs, S., Harper, A., & Hickman, R. L., Jr. (2022). A systematic review of sleep deprivation and neurobehavioral function in young adults. Applied Nursing Research, 63, 151552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2021.151552

✍️: Genbert Mae Gonzales
📸: Jet Darren Gonzaga
💻: Ma. Alexa Sanico

15/09/2026

𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬 | 𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗮 𝗺𝗼 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗲𝗵, 𝗯𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮 𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻, 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝗻𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝗸𝗮?

Umabot tayo sa puntong kinukwestiyon natin ang ating halaga.

Naging pamilyar na sa atin ang katagang, “Hindi pa ba ako sapat?” Ngunit naitanong mo ba sa iyong sarili kung ikaw ba talaga yung pinili? O baka napilitan lang siyang ika’y mahalin?

Baka kailangan mo munang tumigil at hanapin ang sagot. Dahil kung ikaw talaga, bakit hindi niya magawa sa’yo ang mga bagay na kaya naman niyang gawin sa iba?

Dahil ang pagmamahal, hindi ipinipilit. Kusa iyang ibinibigay. Ang pagmamahal, hindi mo kailangang ipagmakaawa. Kailangan mo lang maghintay sa taong kayang ibigay iyon na hindi mo hinihingi.

Kaya’t huwag mong itanong sa kanya kung bakit hindi niya nagawa sa’yo ang nagawa niya sa iba. Kundi itanong mo sa sarili mo kung minahal ka ba niya nang tunay.

Dahil tayong mga tao, natural tayong sinungaling—hindi lang sa ibang tao, kundi minsan pati sa sarili natin. Mahilig tayong magbigay ng tiyansa. Pilit nating pinaniniwala ang ating sarili na baka may pinagkakaabalahan lang siya, baka pagod lang siya, baka hindi lang talaga siya sanay magpakita ng pagmamahal.

Pero ang totoo, kapag mahal ka niya, parte ka ng mga pinagkakaabalahan niya.

Hindi naman ibig sabihin na kailangan kang unahin sa lahat ng oras. May kanya-kanya tayong buhay, problema, at responsibilidad. Pero kapag mahalaga ka sa isang tao, mararamdaman mo. Hindi mo kailangang hulaan. Hindi mo kailangang habulin ang atensyon na dapat ay kusa niyang ibinibigay.

Ngayon, tanungin mo ang sarili mo: bakit ka naghahabol sa taong hindi kayang ibigay sa’yo ang atensyon na matagal mo nang hinihintay?

Dahil minsan, hindi naman talaga natin kailangan ng sagot mula sa kanya. Kailangan lang nating maging totoo sa sarili natin.

Kung paulit-ulit mong kailangang itanong kung mahal ka ba niya, baka matagal mo nang alam ang sagot. Ayaw mo lang itong tanggapin.

Hindi mo kailangang habulin ang taong pinipili kang iwan.

Hindi mo kailangang ipaglaban ang sarili mo sa taong dapat ay kusang nakikita ang halaga mo.

At lalong hindi mo kailangang baguhin ang sarili mo para maging sapat sa taong hindi kailanman nagpasiyang piliin ka.

Dahil ang taong tunay na nagmamahal sa’yo, hindi ka hahayaang mabuhay sa puro tanong. Hindi ka niya hahayaang paulit-ulit na magduda sa halaga mo. Hindi dahil perpekto siya, kundi dahil ipaparamdam niya sa’yo na hindi mo kailangang makipag-agawan para sa isang lugar sa buhay niya.

Kaya kung dumating ka sa puntong pagod ka nang maghintay, pagod ka nang umintindi, at pagod ka nang magtanong kung bakit hindi ka niya kayang mahalin tulad ng pagmamahal na hinihingi mo, baka panahon na para ikaw naman ang piliin mo.

Hindi lahat ng taong mahal natin ay para sa atin. At hindi lahat ng taong gusto nating manatili ay mananatili.

Minsan, kailangan nating tanggapin na may mga taong darating sa buhay natin para iparamdam kung ano ang pagmamahal, at mayroon ding darating para turuan tayong huwag tanggapin ang pagmamahal na kulang.

Kaya huwag mong sukatin ang halaga mo sa paraan ng pagmamahal niya sa’yo.

Hindi ka naging kulang dahil hindi ka niya napili.

Hindi ka naging hindi sapat dahil hindi niya naibigay ang hinihintay mo.

Baka hindi naman talaga ikaw ang problema.

Baka ang kailangan mo lang ay tumigil sa paghahabol, lumayo nang kaunti, at hayaan ang sarili mong makita kung gaano karaming pagmamahal ang matagal mo nang ibinibigay sa maling tao.

At balang araw, maiintindihan mo rin—na ang tamang pagmamahal ay hindi mo kailangang ipilit.

Hindi mo kailangang pagdusahan.

Hindi mo kailangang pag-ukulan ng buong sarili mo para lang mapatunayan na karapat-dapat kang mahalin.

Dahil kapag tunay na ikaw ang pinili, hindi mo na kailangang magtanong kung sapat ka —mararamdaman mo ito ng kusa.

💻/✍:𝐉𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚𝐠𝐚

12/09/2026

𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗦 | 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹”

CARS students from different departments had the crowd grasped with excitement as they showcased their talents, charisma, and creativity during the recently concluded CARS Acquaintance Party on September 11, 2026.

✍️/💻: 𝐉𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚𝐠𝐚
📷: 𝐉𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚𝐠𝐚 | 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐨

12/09/2026

𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗦 𝗘𝗣. 𝟭 | 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗨𝗡𝗨𝗦𝗨𝗔𝗟

CARS brought creativity to life at their Acquaintance Party with “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙪𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡.” From bold and unexpected looks to imaginative takes on the theme, students showed that standing out is an art of its own.

Beyond the runway, it was a joyful and lively night filled with laughter, energy, and unforgettable moments as students came together to celebrate, connect, and simply have a great time.

Catch the highlights of a night where creativity met celebration in CHRONICLIPS EP. 1!

🎙️: 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐨 | 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐨
💻: 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐨 | 𝐉𝐲𝐠𝐳 𝐈𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐠𝐨
🎥: 𝐉𝐲𝐠𝐳 𝐈𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐠𝐨

11/09/2026

𝐹𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑦 | 𝗡𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲

Realizations. Adjustments. Reality.

Four years begins with a first step through the gates of Davao del Sur State College. Beneath the unfamiliar halls and bustling grounds, young minds arrive carrying dreams, questions, and the version of themselves they knew in high school—only to discover, within the first month, that college is where growing up quietly begins.

College is not about being a teenager, it is a slow transition to adulthood where academic demands collide with future priorities and commitments. In this early season lies adjustments to a higher level of academic environment and overwhelming schedules.

For the new students, it is not just adjustments, but it is change of older selves. Richelle, a first-year student of the Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English, shared, “Way back then, I believe that I have to be top at everything in order for me to showcase my potential, but a month in DSSC humbled me.”

Her words reminisce her realizations in her first month saying that it changed her perspective as a college student. From goals that set her to be excellent.

For a Bachelor in Public Administration student like Kaye, adjustments in college are the start of her new routine in her college life. “My first adjustment was my time management throughout my schedule and how to juggle the online and face-to-face classes, as well with my extracurricular activities”, she said.

Her adjustments were a combination of responsibility and capability to handle all things at once, especially with different types of learning modalities offered at Davao del Sur State College.

In adjustments and realization, comes great acceptance. Ryan, a freshman from Bachelor of Science in Information System, expressed his acceptance, saying, “I have realized that I’m no longer the high schooler who could just go with the flow and depend on others. Now, I have to make decisions or myself and take responsibility for the things I choose.”

His statement made him assured that he finally accepts his college life, leaving the high schooler he was before. He accepts dependance, missing the old times, but now he has finally come up to decide for himself as responsibilities follow.

Their words reflect the lives of every DSSCian in their first whimsical moments of their college journey. A journey filled with observations, realizations, and acceptance in letting go of things that are needed to outgrow. As DSSCians, reality hits you in the first month, changing your mindset, cultivating your capabilities, and widening your horizons. In this college life, we are deemed to raise the bar to our level. Because after all, in acceptance and realizing, today they are no longer the high schoolers they used to be.

✍🏻: 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚
📸: 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐨
👨‍💻: 𝐉𝐲𝐠𝐳 𝐈𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐠𝐨

09/09/2026

𝗪𝗘𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗨𝗠𝗣 | 𝗞𝘂𝘆𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁

📸: 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨
💻: 𝐉𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚𝐠𝐚

07/09/2026

𝑷𝑶𝑽 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒚 | 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴?

An iPhone giveaway. A cash prize. A 𝑝𝑎𝑏𝑢𝑦𝑎 for followers. A video of someone receiving help when they need it most.

These are the moments that make content creators look generous.

And perhaps some of them genuinely are.

But what happens when the same people who build their image around giving back also promote online gambling?

That question becomes uncomfortable precisely because generosity is difficult to criticize.

The concern is not merely hypothetical.

In August, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Production (PAGCOR) fined an online gaming company ₱1 million over a promotional giveaway involving influencer Ivana Alawi. PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco said the company failed to secure the regulator's approval for the promotion, which required participants to like the gaming platform's page. The promotion was subsequently ordered stopped, with Tengco warning the another violation could lead to heavier sanctions, including the possible suspension or cancellation of the company's license.

The important question, however, is not simply whether a giveaway followed the rules.

It is what happens when generosity becomes the doorway through which gambling reaches an audience.

Call them Content Creator X, Y, and Z. Their content may differ, but the formula is familiar: give something away, help someone in need, build relationship with the audience, and then promote a product to the same people who have learned to trust them.

The audience is no longer simply watching someone give.

They are being introduced to a product through someone they already trust.

That distinction matters.

Influencer marketing works because audiences develop sense of familiarity with the person behind the screen. A gambling advertisement delivered by a company may feel like an advertisement. The same message delivered by a familiar content creator can feel more like a recommendation from someone we know.

And that is where responsibility becomes greater.

PAGCOR's Responsible Gaming Code of Practice explicitly covers internet advertising, including websites blog, and social media sites. It says gambling advertisements must not encourage socially irresponsible gambling, lead to financial harm, target people under 21, or suggest that gambling can solve financial problems.

These safeguard exist for a reason.

Gambling is not simply another product that influencers can sell without considering its consequences.

PAGCOR itself lists increased debt, unpaid bills, repeatedly trying to recover losses, borrowing money, and damage to families and relationships among the signs and consequences associated with gambling problem.

Yet the advertisement can arrive wrapped in laughter, giveaways, frienship, and the familiar promise of "𝑏𝑎𝑘𝑎 𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑤 𝑛𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑢𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑜𝑑".

That is what makes influencer promotion different.

The message does not always feel like someone selling gambling.

It can feel like someone we like talking to us.

And regulators have recognized that advertising requires greater scrutiny. In July 2025, PAGCOR and the Ad Standards Council signed an agreement making gambling a "𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡-𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛" advertising category. The agreement requires branded and corporate gambling advertisements including online advertisements to undergo review and approval before public release.

PAGCOR has since strengthened its responsible-gambling messaging. Its revised tagline reads: "𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝."

In May 2026, the agency also launched a 24/7 National Problem Gambling Helpline to provide confidential support and counseling to people experiencing gambling-related problems and their families.

If the regulator itself is strengthening safeguards, warnings, advertising controls, and support systems, perhaps we should also expect something from those who have built their careers on influence.

Responsibility.

The most concerning part is not necessarily the giveaway itself.

It is what the giveaway can make people overlook.

A phone can be a genuine gift. Helping someone can be a genuine act of kindness. A creator sincerely want to help their followers.

But generosity does not automatically make every product they promote responsible.

Doing good does not erase the need for accountability.

That is why calling someone a hypocrite or a liar may be too easy.

The more important question is to whether their actions create a contradiction.

If a creator tells their followers, "𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢," should that care also influence the brands and products they are willing to promote to them?

Because influence is not just about having millions of followers.

It is about what those followers are encouraged to trust.

And when that trust becomes valuable enough for gambling companies to pay for access to an audience, generosity can become more than generosity.

It can become part of the marketing strategy.

We should not assume that every giveaway is fake or that every charitable act is merely for publicity.

But neither should we allow generosity to become a shield against criticism.

A creator can give away ten iPhones and still be questioned about the next gambling advertisement.

A person can help struggling families and still be held accountable for what they promote.

Both things can be true.

Because accountability should not depend on how generous someone looks on camera.

The real question is not simply "𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒?"

It is:
"𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑎𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛?"

Their money?

Their attention?

Their trust?

Or perhaps all three?

In the age of influencer culture, the most valuable thing a creator can possess is not an iPhone to give away.

It is the trust of the people watching.

And perhaps that is one thing they should be most careful about spending.

Because the giveaway may be free, but the influence behind it never is.

✍🏻: 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐳 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐢ñ𝐨𝐳𝐚
🎨: 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨
👨‍💻: 𝐑𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐕. 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨

07/09/2026

Attention DSSCians!

PhilHealth Orientation & Registration

When: Friday, September 11, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Who Can Register:
Students (≥ 21): Encouraged (no longer dependents).
Students (≤ 20): Eligible if away from or without parents.
Note: All students are exempt from monthly premium payments.
Employees: Unregistered COS and JO staff.
Requirements (Bring):
One (1) Birth Certificate OR Two (2) Valid IDs

Perks:

Free snacks for all who register!

For inquiries, visit the Campus Infirmary & Care Center.

05/09/2026

𝗗𝗦𝗦𝗖 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗟𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀

Davao del Sur State College (DSSC) recognized the 105 passers of the March 2026 Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET), including two topnotchers, celebrating their outstanding achievements, perseverance, and excellence as young educators who embody the theme “The Power of Youth in Co-creating Education.”

In her opening remarks, Dr. Siverlyn Camposano commended the passers, emphasizing that their achievement was a reason to celebrate.

“This is a grand celebration for our passers. Reaching those chairs was never certain, nor was it an easy journey. Yet you persevered, you succeeded, and that is more than enough reason to celebrate.,” she said.

College President Dr. Augie Fuentes also emphasized the importance of pursuing master’s studies and reminded the LPTs to look back and acknowledge their parents who nurtured and supported them.

Additionally, she called on the passers to become reliable leaders and support their families, saying, “I wish you all the best in everything, all of you passers, and of course, our topnotchers. I wish for you to be relevant and significant in your respective communities and help your families.”

Furthermore, Mary Lisley Jane Layson, MAED, in her inspirational message, highlighted that success can be understood in a different way, one that is shaped by the courage to survive the challenges and struggles encountered along the path to achievement.

“This morning, I would like us to spell success in a different way. How about this: success, I, S, U, R, V, I, V, E, D. because as LET passers, I want you to pause for a moment and look back at the person you were before this recognition, the student who was once afraid of failure. Yet, that person brought you here today.”

She challenged the new LPTs to carry the humility gained from their past experiences as they enter the teaching profession, emphasizing that this humility can become their strength in understanding with learners who may face struggles in the future.

"When we acknowledge our past experiences, it humbles us. And that humility, our dear LPTs, will become your strength as teachers in the future. When you meet learners in the future who are struggling, I hope you will understand them. In that way, you can commit to the teaching profession better.”

Afterwards, the event proceeded with the Recognition Ceremony, followed by a special message from the 2026 LET Top 5, Dave Mechael P. Guardaquibel, LPT, and Top 8, Mary Rose M. Demecillo, LPT, both graduates of the Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEEd) program. They shared their experiences and testimonies, offering personal insights into their journey in taking the board examination. They were also awarded with cash incentives from the institution and the CTED faculty in recognition of their outstanding achievement.

✍️: 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐞 𝐑. 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐛
📸: 𝐉𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐳 𝐎𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐚
💻: 𝐑𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐕. 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨