𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝

𝐵𝑦: 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝐶. 𝐼𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑜 𝐽𝑟., 𝑀𝐴𝐸𝑑

𝑆𝐻𝑆 𝑇𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝐼𝐼, 𝐴𝑙𝑏𝑜𝑟 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ 𝑆𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙

𝐷𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑡 𝐼𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝐷𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛

The ink has faded, yet its narrative will endure long after the pages are turned.

My journey in coaching journalism was not paved with instant victories. In my first year, I did not place in any event I joined, not even 7th place, a ranking that once earned a ticket in the regionals. The disappointment was heavy, but I refused to let failure define me. Instead, I kept working, observing, and learning from seasoned, winning coaches. I recalibrated my game plan. I studied their strategies, adapted best practices, and refined my approach. Alas, the breakthrough came in 2019 when I won my first gold medal.

Last week, we signed up for the Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC), competing in the News Writing (English) category against the best in the province. And against all odds, we emerged victorious and were proclaimed the 1st place. While the win made the difference, the journey left an indelible mark on us.

Alisa Mae Precillas, my journalist, is a transferee, no stranger to journalism, but a newcomer to news writing. When we started, she was like an artist handed a new canvas, unfamiliar yet eager. What she lacked in experience, she made up for with sheer determination. She handled every critique, every revision, every painstaking adjustment constructively. She didn't let outside noises come her way. Let alone the personal battles she had to face. She embraced it all with patience and a hunger to grow. My meticulous nature and obsession with every detail in her writing, she met not with frustration but with perseverance. And that is the spirit of a true writer.

After last year's DSPC gold, I knew repeating history would be an uphill battle. Doubts crept in, but faith outweighed them. Yet, once again, the impossible was made possible—because God willed it so.

A new chapter unfolds—the regionals await. The stakes are higher, and the challenge is tougher as we go head-to-head with the cream of the crop from across the CARAGA region. These are not just writers but champions, the best from the 12 divisions. Yet, one thing remains unchanged: we march forward with the same grit, the same heart, and unwavering faith in the One who led us here. May He walk with us once more and let our words of manifestation again be woven in gold.