Padunungan is the annual educational competition for Bicolano high school students, organized by UP Ibalon, a socio-cultural organization of Bicolano students from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Launched in 1981 as an annual event, Padunungan (which means an academic knowledge competition, tournament, bowl or decathlon)  offers a platform for young minds across the Bicol region to showcase their talents and intellectual abilities. It also focuses on pressing regional and national issues and aims to challenge the youth to think critically and creatively.

Competing in Padunungan 2025 were 698 delegates from the six provinces of the region — their best ever in many years. This event was held on January 18-19, at the Sta. Cruz National High School in Naga City, this year’s host. It featured a combination of educational discussions and competitions that allowed participants to showcase their talents, wit, and skills in various categories. In a nod to the current challenges brought about by recent extreme weather-related disasters, UP Ibalon adopted the theme “Debunking Resilience: Intensifying the Youth’s Call for Genuine Disaster Mitigation.”

Padunungan 2025 sought to delve into the widely embraced yet oversimplified narrative of Bicolano resiliency, often celebrated as a testament to our strength as a people. But, at a time when resilience had almost become a trite excuse for incompetence and unpreparedness in disaster response and mitigation, it was crucial to challenge this narrative. It needed to confront the systemic issues that perpetuate the region’s vulnerability to disasters and hinder progress in our recovery.

About UP Ibalon

UP Ibalon was established by Bicolano UP students in December 1974 during the martial law era. It is the sole regional Bicolano organization in the University of the Philippines Diliman. The region’s epic “Ibalong” inspired its name. For five decades, Ibalonians stayed true to its vision and mission of service to the Bicolanos, in particular, and the Filipinos, in general.

Rallying behind its tagline, Aktibo, Magayon, Oragon, UP Ibalon members and alumni are jointly celebrating its 50^th year. Pusong oragon defines its members’ excellence and competence in service to Bicolandia, the University, and the Country, Limang dekada ning pagserbi sa mga Bicolano asin sa nacion. The golden flame of solidarity and passion for service drives the Ibalonian heart, firmly committed to the goals and objectives of the organization.

Fun, Games and Learning

UP Ibalon’s 38th installment of Padunungan featured a variety of fun and games. Individual competitions include Tigsik Writing, On-the-spot Essay Writing, Impromptu Speech, and Editorial Cartooning. With the prevalence of social media, the Infographic Design competition has recently been introduced. Meanwhile, the group events, Debate, Quiz Bee, Short-Form Video Making, and Cultural Presentations, continued to dominate the annual participant counts.

While competition remained at the heart of Padunungan, it also provided a platform for the Bicol youth to engage in educational discourse. Beyond the display of competitive intellectual prowess and leadership skills, the conversation was about the climate crisis, the adverse effects of which were exacerbated by its man-made intensity, the inefficient disaster relief management, and the systemic failures to protect natural biodiversity.

Padunungan 2025 focused on the current state of disaster risk reduction and management in Bicol, specifically how the youth could aid in debunking the traditional resiliency narrative and replacing it with a demand for accountability. It sought to understand how the sectoral communities such as agriculture and fisheries cope with the effects of disasters which are more intense than those suffered by individuals. Through discussions among these sectors and the student participants, the event explored alternative narratives in the hopes of calling for a collective change in regional and national policies concerning disaster mitigation. 

The DRRM Discussions

The educational discussions on the current state of disaster management in the region and intensifying the calls for genuine mitigation featured two esteemed speakers, namely, David Michael V. Padua and Marites L. Belen for Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Philippines.

David Michael V. Padua, known as “Mr. Typhoon,” is a renowned typhoon specialist and the founder of Typhoon 2000, the Philippines’ first tropical cyclone-focused website. A weather enthusiast since childhood and a graduate of BS Geography from UP Diliman, he has dedicated his career to providing accurate typhoon forecasts and early warnings, earning accolades such as Naga City’s Juan Q. Miranda Award for his outstanding public service. Padua’s insightful discussions delved on “Understanding Philippine Hydrometeorological Hazards.”

Representing the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Philippines (A-PAD PH), Marites Belen’s talk was titled “Disaster Resiliency: Call for Genuine Mitigation.” A-PAD PH is a country platform that is a member of a transnational disaster aid alliance working to facilitate cooperation and understanding between governments, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations in the Asia Pacific Region. Founded in Tokyo, Japan in 2011, national platforms have been established also in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and South Korea.

The Competition Winners

Congratulations to all the individual winners! Job well done! Your schools are all proud of you!

Quiz Bee – Junior HS

• 1st – Sorsogon National High School Team B: Jethro John F. Bungcag, Maureen Athena Cincua, Jana Olive R. Fornias
• 2nd – Ligao National High School Team C: Kevin Kyle C. Maano, Audrey Cielo Tominio, Karl Dave Pagdato
• 3rd – Sorsogon National High School Team A: Lavlee Joy Te Bolaños, Kevin Martin Doluntap, Gil Reysean Aguilar
• Top Scorer – Miguel Nicolai Esplago, Legazpi City Science High School

Quiz Bee – Senior HS

• 1st – Ligao National High School Team A: Nicholas Alexander G. Rempillo, Justin P. Nocedo, Von Andrei M. Raposa
• 2nd – Legazpi City National High School Team B: Ethan Jay Balute, Miguel Javier Luna, Tristan Jin Benitez
• 3rd – Naga City Science High School Team A: Sean Martin B. Rosin, Emmanuel Benedict S. Hugo, Ron Lenard C. Reyes
• Top Scorer – Rolein Margaritte Amolo, Bicol Regional Science High School

Tigsik Writing – Junior HS

• 1st place – Amber Euro B. Cuba (Jose Panganiban National High School)
• 2nd place – Queen Dearly P. Eresmas (Sorsogon National High School)
• 3rd place – Kian R. Mores (Naga City Science High School)

Tigsik Writing – Senior HS

• 1st place – Diane Ericka A. Manaog (Naga City Science High School)
• 2nd place – Jhon Carl M. Bonde (Ligao National High School)
• 3rd place – Lawrence Matthew Perez (Jose Panganiban National High School)

May the words and voices of the young be carried farther than the winds and storms that reach these shores. May their call for action and for accountability be as strong as the waves that batter our beaches.

Essay Writing – Pilipino, JHS

• 1^st Place – Aziekiel Rafael A. Zuñiga (St. Agnes Academy Inc.)
• 2^nd Place – Alexa Gaivrielle Dumalanta (San Agustin Integrated School)
• 3^rd Place – Hanszen Kyle Q. Barnedo (Ligao National High School)

Essay Writing – English, JHS

• 1^st Place – Alexi Raine H. Fremista (Sorsogon National High School)
• 2^nd Place- Francine J. Orzales (Marcial O. Rañola Memorial School)
• 3^rd Place – Athena L. Serrano (Polangui General Comprehensive High School)

Essay Writing – Pilipino, SHS

• 1^st Place – Gel Ivan Copla (Ligao National High School)
• 2^nd Place – Vanessa Joyce Leona (Jose Panganiban National High School)
• 3^rd Place – Mendy Almazan (Nabua National High School

Essay Writing – English, SHS

• 1^st Place – Frincheska Elinah M. Riñon (Ligao National High School)
• 2^nd Place – Keisha Corine O. Mallete (St. Agnes Academy Inc.)
• 3^rd Place – Reign Darlene Z. Morante (Naga City Science High School)

The contestants demonstrated that the transformation towards a better prepared and safer Bicolandia begins with knowledge and critical reflection.

Editorial Cartooning

• 1st place – Kate Albielene O. Lupango (Ligao National High School)
• 2nd place – Joaquin Nicholas G. Cedro (Bicol Regional Science High School)
• 3rd place – Zeke D. Diesta (Sorsogon National High School)

Through their pencils and sketches, the young editorial cartoonists created a storm of satirical criticism on the stark differences of privilege during times of disasters. As these caricatures bear the comedic front of criticism, Padunungan 2025 calls for genuine action in times of need be heard for the benefit of those most affected.

Impromptu Speech – JHS

• 1st place – Danyal S. Rasheed (Jose Panganiban National High School)
• 2nd place – Rodney Corbin P. Sarmiento (Nabua National High School)
• 3rd place – Jon Roland B. Vasquez (Naga City Science High School)

Impromptu Speech – SHS

• 1st place – Gwyneth Q. Gacad (Ligao National High School)
• 2nd place – Mark Augustine C. Mostoles (St. Agnes Academy)
• 3rd place – Rajah Yuuan C. Nubla (Naga City Science High School)

On-The-Spot Poster Making

• 1st place – Princess Faye S. Durante (Ligao National High School)
• 2nd place – Immanuelle Alexa B. De Leon (Jose Panganiban National High School)
• 3rd place – Quincie Iredell B. Daco (Polangui General Comprehensive School)

The bright colors and artistry of the posters call for a collective effort for effective disaster mitigation as together everyone can weather any storm and challenge we that may face.

Infographic Design

• 1^st Place – Kenmarl Jamiel B. Buban, Grace Elizabeth M. Masindo (Polangui General Comprehensive High School)
• 2^nd Place – Edward James Peñafiel, James Lenard M. Agbon (Polangui General Comprehensive High School)
• 3^rd Place – Ariane S. Lopez, Andrea Osorio (Jose Panganiban National High School)

Through visual creativity, these Bicolano high school students successfully transformed complex ideas into impactful messages on the state of disaster mitigation in the region. Their works are a call to action, proving that creativity can illustrate Bicolandia’s path to a future built on disaster preparedness.

Debate – Top Performers

• 1^st place – Fatima F. Tabaong, Sebastian P. Jamisola, and Priam Noah E. Palabrica (Sorsogon National High School)
• 2nd place – Lianne Sherene P. Cos, Maria Angelika R. Saculsan, and Erich Faye A. Riñon (Ligao National High School)
• 3rd place – Edric V. Magana, Frank Luigie P. Lopez, and Mark Niño S. Asis (Jose Panganiban National High School)

• Best Speaker – Maria Angelika R. Saculsan (Ligao National High School)
• Best Position Paper – Sachi Danielle V. Cordial, Grace Faith Calomos, and Martina Josiah Macaraig (Naga City Science High School)

With arguments rooted in logic and critical thought, these outstanding debaters made their voices heard about disaster mitigation.

Cultural Presentation

• 1^st Place – Ligao National High School
• 2^nd place – Bicol Regional Science High School
• 3^rd place – Polangui General Comprehensive High School

With vibrant performances that combined tradition and modernity, these groups showcased the spirit of resilience and unity.

Overall Top 10 Schools

• 1^st Place – Ligao National High School (Ligao, Albay), 161 Oragon Points
• 2^nd Place – Sorsogon National High School (Sorsogon City), 102 Oragon Points
• 3^rd Place – Naga City Science High School (Naga City), 101 Oragon Points
• 4^th Place – Jose Panganiban National High School (Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte), 89 Oragon Points
• 5^th Place – Legazpi City Science High School (Legazpi City), 77 Oragon Points
• 5^th Place – Polangui General Comprehensive High School (Polangui, Albay), 77 Oragon Points
• 7^th Place – Bicol Regional Science High School (Ligao, Albay), 73 Oragon Points
• 8^th Place – Marcial O. Rañola Memorial School (Guinobatan, Albay) 68 Oragon Points
• 9^th Place – St. Agnes Academy Inc. (Legazpi City), 65 Oragon Points
• 10^th Place – Perpetual Help National High School (Iriga City), 54 Oragon Points

We congratulate the Overall Top 10 Schools of Padunungan 2025! Your talent, dedication, and passion have made Padunungan 2025 an unforgettable experience for all who participated!

The header image is part of the Padunungan 2025 publication posts on the UP Ibalon Padunungan 2025 FB page. The article content and images were based on posts on this FB page. We thank Joann Guerrero, Steering Committee Overall Head, UP IBALON PADUNUNGAN 2025, and Pons Carpio, UP IBALON Alumni Association, for allowing us access to these materials.

UP IBALON PADUNUNGAN 2025

Steering Committee Overall Heads:
Ronna Jane Balasta, Joann Marie Guerrero, Marian Charie Liao 
Committee Heads: 
Competitions - John Andrey Asuncion 
Creatives - Celine Dio 
Finance - Rya Zenilde Cawaling 
Logistics - Monique Faye Bering & Khloe Mariano 
Marketing & Sponsorships - Kristine Cerillo & Kyle Jordan Manzanades 
Programs & Technicals - Jan Kenneth Hayagan 
Publicity - Marian Charie Liao 
Secretariat & School Relations - Erlyn Kaye Mortega

CLICK LINK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT UP IBALON PADUNUNGAN 2025

About UP IBALON

Board of Directors (Academic Year 2024-2025)
President - Justin Ember Mutia 
Internal Vice President - Jesusalyn Echano 
External Vice President - Timothy Paul Angeles 
Executive Secretary - Monique Faye Bering 
Treasurer - Rya Zenilde Cawaling 
Press Relations Officer - Johan Sebastian Dela Torre 
Academic Committee Chairperson - Rafael Mediavillo 
Membership Committee Chairperson - Kyle Jordan Manzanades 
Socio-cultural Committee Chairperson - Tam Barrameda 
Sports Committee Chairperson - Jan Kenneth Hayagan 

CLICK LINK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT UP IBALON