CEIS Students Celebrate Cultural Diversity in Honor of United Nations

By Kiel Emmanuel Caballero

October 31, 2023

In commemoration of the United Nations, Senior High School students from Centro Escolar Integrated School-Malolos (CEIS) gathered at Waltermart Malolos on October 27, 2023, to honor the rich cultural diversity of countries around the world. This marked the school’s first off-campus event since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event started with the singing of the national anthem, followed by the opening prayer led by Mr. Juan Gabriel Genota and Chris Nathaniel Dayao. The hosts, Mark Andrew Fulgencio and Andrea Paulane Flores, opened the ceremony. Following this, Ms. Abigail Espineda, the principal of CEIS, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the concept of “Unity for a better world, despite our differences.”

The highlight of the evening was the Mr. and Ms. United Nations competition, which began with an opening walk and a special performance by Jhie Anne Guinoo, who sang Beyonce's “Deja Vu.”

The competition for Audio-Visual Presentation (AVP), which was one of the event’s activities, featured promotional videos produced by each section showcasing the diverse customs and traditions of the countries they represented.

The Mr. and Ms. UN contestants then graced the stage with their national costumes, reflecting the traditions while also showing a creative interpretation for their respective countries.

Following that, the contestants returned to the stage, this time showcasing their elegance and poise in their formal attire.

The awarding for the other competitions were announced and handed out during the intermission. These were the Debate Competition and the AVP Making Contest.

During the question and answer portion of the competition, hosted by Allexi Reyes and Carl Salamat, the representatives answered some challenging questions about controversial social issues, including freedom of expression, renaming the “Marcos Dictatorship” to simply “Dictatorship” in the new curriculum, and the West Philippine/South China Sea Dispute.

After the Q&A portion, Sir Juan Gabriel Genota expressed gratitude and delivered a thanksgiving message, acknowledging everyone who contributed to the event’s success.

Finally, the awarding ceremony took place, followed by the closing remarks from Mrs. Teresita De Leon, underlining the main purpose of the event: “peace, unity, and solidarity despite differences”. The event concluded with the singing of the Centro Escolar Hymn.

The winners of the awards are as follows:

Debate Competition (Champions):

Jada Kaila Aquino

Marc Laurence Nada

Roi Edan Victoria

AVP Making Contest:

Best in Dubbing - HUMSS 11- A

Best in Editing - HUMSS 11-A

Best AVP - HUMSS 11-A

People’s Choice:

Mr. Montenegro: Mark France Tinio of STEM 11-C

Ms. Ukraine: Bianca Mae Bautista of STEM 12-B/E/H