Filipino high school student from Mt. Province wins JICA’s national essay writing contest

A high school student from Tabuk City National High School in Kalinga Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) was named grand prize winner of the first national essay writing competition of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). 

 

The essay competition is part of the commemoration of the 60 years of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA). 

 

Angel Joy Orpilla, who hails from Kalinga, bested other student essays with her “Dumanay Meets JICA” entry that talked about a young girl’s travails going to her school in the mountains, which was eased by a JICA road project in the Cordillera. The improvements in their small tribal village, Orpilla, writes, “People in this world cannot survive if they do not help each other. This is the valuable lesson that JICA taught us.” 

 

More than 170 high school students competed in the essay-writing contest. The other student winners were: Luis Antonio Valdez of South Hill School Incorporated in Laguna; Katherine Anne del Rosario of Cavite National Science High School in Maragondon, Cavite; Krystel Iris de Castro of Recto Memorial National High School in Tiaong, Quezon; and Theresa Mae Villanueva of South Hill School Incorporated in Laguna. 

 

JICA Chief Representative Noriaki Niwa personally congratulated the winners during the awarding ceremonies at the 60th ODA Anniversary Celebration in Manila. The competition, according to him, will help inspire the young generation of Filipinos to sustain and continue Japan-Philippines cooperation and friendship. 

 

Winners receive a cash award, and a certificate from JICA. 


Press release and photo from Japan International Cooperation Agency