Dumaguete: Around 1,500 secondary students from 22 divisions of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Negros Island Region will converge in this capital city for the Regional Festival of Talents this week, officials announced Monday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Dr. Juditha Mapue, assistant superintendent of the DepEd-Dumaguete City Schools Division, stated that the event will be held from Thursday to Saturday at various venues across the city. "We will be the first in the NIR, after it became a region, to host the Regional Festival of Talents (RFOT) that will showcase the skills of the students in different categories," Mapue explained in a phone interview.

The RFOT is designed to highlight learners' capabilities in arts, music, dance, literature, science, and technology, serving as a qualifying event for a national competition. All categories target secondary students, with the exception of STEMazing, which includes an elementary division. STEMazing encourages students to tackle real-life issues by devising proposals, delivering presentations, and creating scientific models on the spot.

The competition includes a wide range of categories such as Pinas Sayaw, DokyuWento, Likhawitan, Techno Fusion, Literary Cup, Pop Quiz, CineMunti, Silence in Stories, Advocacy Pitch, Arabic Language Spelling, Harf Touch, Q'uran Reading, Bake Cares, Cabin Craft, and Savor D'Flavor.

Mapue disclosed that contest venues will be scattered across various DepEd schools in the city. These schools will continue their regular classes through modules as they will also serve as accommodation for the contestants.