21 October 2024 –Tacloban City. Seven (7) government employees in Eastern Visayas vie for the regional champion title in the recently concluded 4th PSA Quiz Bee Regional Championship organized by Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office VIII (PSA – RSSO 8). The contestants represented the member-agencies of Regional Statistics Committee VIII (RSC 8) and the six (6) Provincial Statistics Committees (PSCs) of the region namely, PSC Biliran, PSC Eastern Samar, PSC Leyte, PSC Northern Samar, PSC Samar, and PSC Southern Leyte.

Hailed regional champion after the 2-hour grueling competition was Shiena P. Ripalda, 25 years old, who works as Confidential Assistant II of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Tacloban Branch. Ms. Ripalda, representative of the RSC 8, was consistently among the top five (5) scorers but clinched the final match in the 4th tiebreaker question.

The second prize winner, John Kenneth D. Arlando, 27 years old, is a Special Science Teacher I of Eastern Visayas Regional Science High School who represented PSC Samar. The third prize winner was PSC Leyte representative, Michael B. Alvarado, 42 years old, Community Development Assistant (CDA) I of the Leyte Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office (PNREO). The winners brought home plaques of recognition and tokens of appreciation worth 10k, 8k, and 6k, respectively. The rest of the contestants took home certificates of appreciation and tokens worth 3k each.

The coverage of the 4th PSA Quiz Bee included topics on Official Statistics, Philippine Statistical Act of 2013 (RA 10625) and other legal mandates, Civil Registration, Philippine Identification System, Community-Based Monitoring System, Vital Statistics, and Current Events. The quiz competition was a multiple-choice format composed of 3 rounds with 10 questions each round. The top five (5) scorers in the first two (2) rounds proceeded to round 3 of the quiz. However, the contest was extended up to four (4) sudden-death tiebreaker questions before the final winners were announced.

Completing the seven other contestants were Evelyn R. Bajado of Eastern Samar State University Maydolong (PSC-Eastern Samar), Atty. Edren E. Margallo of Public Attorney’s Office (PSC – Biliran), Lyna M. Gayas of Department of Education Southern Leyte Division (PSC – Southern Leyte), and Grachelle V. Obong of Department of Agrarian Reform (PSC – Northern Samar).

The Board of Judges was led by Malcolm James Ching of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Tacloban Leyte Inc., Chief Statistical Specialist Mae R. Almonte of PSA – RSSO 8 and Education Supervisor II Nelly L. Labrada of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) VIII.

The PSA quiz bee is part of the 35th National Statistics Month celebration in Eastern Visayas. It is designed to test the knowledge of the region’s statistical community. It also aims to promote, enhance and instill awareness and appreciation of the importance and value of statistics, among government employees, and the public in general.

SGD. WILMA A. PERANTE
Regional Director