3 February 2012 - Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Affairs Teresita V.G. Barsana announced that Franchesca Anne C. Inacay, a third year high school student of St. Albert the Great School of Dagupan City in Region I, placed first in the 5th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Quiz national competition held on January 25 at the People's Television Network (PTV4) in Quezon City.
Krystianne Paul A. De Pedro, from Koronadal National Comprehensive High School of South Cotabato in Region XII, and Ma. Angela Krizelle T. Rubin, from San Joaquin National High School of Calbayog City in Region VIII, won second and third places, respectively.The three winners will represent the Philippines in the ASEAN Quiz Regional Competition, which will also be attended by representatives from the nine other ASEAN Member States. The competition will be held in Cambodia this August.
Fourth placer Danilo D. Tabilas Jr., from Cagayan National High School of Tuguegarao City in Region II, will serve as alternate contestant in case anyone of the three winners will be unable to compete.
The ASEAN Cultural Fund will shoulder the team's international round-trip airfare and board and lodging relative to their participation in Cambodia.
This year's top three winners received fabulous prizes. Ms. Inacay, the first place winner, received P30,000 in cash, a four-year college scholarship from STI, and a gold medal. Second place winner, Ms. De Pedro, brought home P20,000 in cash, a four-year college scholarship from STI, and a silver medal. Ms. Rubin, on the other hand, received P15,000 in cash, a four-year college scholarship from STI, and a bronze medal for landing third place.
Their respective coaches and schools were likewise awarded plaques of recognition.
Fifteen students representing 15 of the 17 regions in the country competed for the opportunity to represent the Philippines at the ASEAN Quiz Regional Competition.
The 15 contestants in the 2012 ASEAN Quiz National Competition were the champions of the regional-level ASEAN Quiz competition, held once every two years among third year high school students in the 17 regions of the Philippines.
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the CARAGA Region were not able to send contestants to this year's national competition.
The ASEAN Quiz is organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of ASEAN Affairs (DFA-ASEAN), PTV4, the Department of Education (DepEd), the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
The members of the board of judges in this year's ASEAN Quiz National Competition were DFA-ASEAN Assistant Secretary Barsana, DepEd Assistant Secretary Dr. Elena R. Ruiz, and University of the Philippines-Asian Center Associate Professor Rolando Talampas. END