Cluster 8 press conference set in Santa Rita

Ian Ocampo Flora

Reporter

Sta. Rita— Private high schools from Pampanga’s second district will battle it out during the Cluster 8
Schools Press Conference here this September 16 to 17 at Santa Rita College of Pampanga.

The cluster conference is a qualifier for student journalists who would like to compete in the division
level of the conference which is a yearly competition in the rudiments of journalism writing from news,
feature and sports writing among others.

This leads to the National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) which is the highest competition for
journalism for both private schools and public elementary and high schools in the Philippines.

The journalism contest starts in the provincial level with the Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC),
where the top three to seven in each category depending on the size of the certain region qualifies to
the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC), and from which the top three will be chosen to represent
their respective regions in the NSPC.

Collaborative media categories like radio broadcasting and desktop publishing are also anticipated
events in the competition.

The competing schools include Santa Rita College, Dominican School, Saint Catherine Academy, Guagua
National Colleges, and Santa Cruz Academy of Lubao, Saint Mary’s Academy among others.

Winners who would qualify for the division level will be competing with other private as well as public
schools. Winners will be able to represent their province in the regional level. Regional level winners are
then fielded to the national competition.

The yearly conferences are part of the provisions of the Campus Journalism Act of 1991 that aims to
promote campus journalism through establishment of campus papers and honing of student journalists
through training and competitions.