DOMINGO Yu Chu National High School bagged the grand prize in the recently concluded Smart Communications Inc.-backed seventh “Doon Po Sa Amin” (DPSA) competition for the student division with the documentary on the discovery of fossils of Ammonites in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro.
Ammonite is a type of mollusk that lived during the Mesozoic era, along with the dinosaurs. DPSA is the biggest and longest-running online local content activity that encourages Filipinos to join the digital conversation about the nation. It is an annual search for the best hometown stories that showcase the best of history, traditions, festivals and activities, places to visit, notable people, unique plants and animals, special delicacies and local products.
This year’s local stories are presented through a music video, documentary and animation. These are all mapped online via the DPSA web site.
The awarding ceremony was held in Makati City to coincide with the 11th Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) Innovation and Excellence Awards, another grand annual event of the telecommunications company which recognizes student teams with the best technology innovations.
As a crowd-sourcing activity, DPSA is able to engage Filipinos to participate in the digital conversation to boost Filipino pride.
“Generating more than 1,500 hometown stories, DPSA allows Filipinos to take part in documenting Philippine culture and history using technology for the entire world to see,” said Smart Public Affairs Group Head Ramon Isberto in a press statement.
Initially launched exclusively for schools, in partnership with the Department of Education, Smart has included an open division for this year’s run. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo National High School, which featured the life of Lirio Salvador—the sound artist who makes instruments out of scrap metals—was the first runner-up. Eastern Samar National Comprehensive High School placed second runner-up, with its entry about Eugenio Daza E. Salazar, a teacher who joined the revolutionary forces and led the Balangiga attack in Eastern Samar during the Philippine-American war.
In the open division, a team from Rizal province bagged the top prize. The team showed why Angono, Rizal, is considered the Arts Capital of the Philippines. Entries from Iloilo and Albay were second and third placers, respectively. The Iloilo team featured the historical significance of Sampaw Bato in San Joaquin, Iloilo, while team Albay provided a virtual tour around the must-visit places in Camalig.