Addressing the need for credible adjudication in arts and cultural festivals, PASUC, in cooperation with the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), conducted on Aug. 26-28 at the Mindanao State University of Science and Technology in Cagayan de Oro City a training workshop for aspiring judges in various competitions.

Five participants from MMSU obtained certification as adjudicators for local, regional, and national festivals. They are: Prof. Arsenio Gallego for folk and indigenous dance; Dr. Ma. Victoria Domingo, short and sweet play and radio drama; Prof. Mark Lawrence Fernandez, story telling and pagkukuwento; Prof. Maybelline Sta. Maria, choral singing; Mr. Rowell Tagatac, contemporary and hip-hop dance; and this writer for essay and pagsusulat ng sanaysay. Their names are now on a master list of qualified adjudicators from various regions, all chosen and certified based on their credentials and their participation in the training-workshop.

Other events are: vocal solo, vocal duet, pop solo, instrumental solo, live band, extemporaneous speaking, and charcoal and on-the-spot painting.

In the regional PASUC festivals, the practice of letting the host school choose and invite judges for the contested events has sparked suspicions of biased and unfair decisions. With this development, resource sharing is now encouraged as PASUC-certified adjudicators may be invited to serve in other regions. For instance, Prof. Melchor Jalon of the Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City has offered his services as judge for literary events in the PASUC-I Culture and the Arts festival to be hosted by Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University-Agoo Campus on Oct. 29-30. Judges in the national festival to be hosted by Bicol University in December will also come from PASUC’s pool of national adjudicators.

Prof. Gallego, director of the Center for Human Movement Studies (CHuMS, formerly PESSDO) expressed hopes that with fair adjudication, MMSU will extend its run as overall champion in the region, and that PASUC-I will continue to be a key player in the national level. “Let’s continue to level up,” he admonished college cultural coordinators in a meeting held in preparation for the university-wide eliminations on Sept. 29-30.

Meanwhile, CHuMS, together with the Extension Directorate, are preparing for a training-workshop for radio drama to be conducted by veterans in the field. (By Herdy La. Yumul)