UB OSA Bridges Digital Divisions Through Academic Tilts; Sirib Ken Dayaw: Academic Olympics 2026

From October 5 to 7, 2026, the University of Baguio, in collaboration with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), brought together students from different schools for a series of academic and creative contests centered on the mission, “Bridging the Digital Divide.”

This year’s pinnasiriban put digital inequality center stage, featuring six Academic Olympics competitions: Quiz Bee, Debate, Photo-Essay, Poster-Making, Video Awareness Campaign, and Extemporaneous Speech. These contests offered participants varied platforms to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

These competitions gave students multiple ways to showcase their abilities and expertise. While Debate and Extemporaneous Speech demonstrated students’ ability to organize and express their ideas, Quiz Bee assessed academic knowledge. The Photo-Essay, Poster-Making, and Video Awareness Campaign, on the other hand, gave participants the chance to investigate the event’s purpose using artistic and visual media.

Sirib ken Dayaw: Academic Olympics 2026 Highlights and Results

Braving the odds, student representatives from the School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA) fought through this year’s pinnasiriban and emerged as the overall academic champion. Placing first in 5 of 6 competitions gave them a commanding edge toward the crown. The Vanguards of the School of Criminal Justice and Public Safety (SCJPS) were the overall first runner-up, followed by The Nightingales from the School of Nursing (SON) as the overall second runner-up.

Alt Text: One group from the many student participants from the Sirib Ken Dayaw: Academic Olympics 2026, hosted and facilitated by the University of Baguio Office of Student Affairs (OSA)

Several participants were recognized for their outstanding performances across the events:

Participating Schools:
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School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA)
School of Business Administration and Accountancy (SBAA)
School of Information Technology (SIT)
School of Nursing (SON)
School of Natural Sciences (SNS)
School of Criminal Justice and Public Safety (SCJPS)
School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA)

Photo-Essay Competition

• The Shining STELArs (Angela Alonzo’s “Access is not Enough”) – Champion
• The Nightingales of SON (Fannilyn G. Manipon’s  “Waning Weight”) – First Runner-Up
• The Vanguards of SCJPS (Edria Sevilla’s  “ALPAS: Breaking the Chains of Digital Divide” – Second Runner-Up

 Extemporaneous Speech

• The Shining STELArs (Yuan Marco Del Valle) – Champion
• The Nightingales of SON (Tala Wasing) – First Runner-Up
• The School of SITizens (Karla Caroline Bisnan) – Second Runner-Up

Quiz Bee

• The Shining STELArs (Khaetal Wayne Digmayo and Rhian Trixia Bayo) – Champion
• The Executives of SBAA (Keenth Joshua S. Malaga and Gian Carlo A. Alip) – First Runner-Up
• The Shining STELArs (Aldriana Baliton and Crizarl Godwin Escoto) – Second Runner-Up

Debate Competition

• The Shining STELArs (Cedrick Aaron Aswigue, Yuan Marco Del Valle, and Linzie Althea Arenos) – Champion
• The Nightingales of SON (Clyd Buenconsejo, Blake Villanueva, and Christian Andrie Baquian) – First Runner-Up
• Linzie Althea Arenos was named Best Debater for both the Preliminary and Finals Rounds, while Blake Villanueva was named Best Debater for the Preliminary Round

Video Awareness Campaign

• The School of SITizens – Champion
  • Tria, Xander Dominic C.
  • ‎Aquino, Jinn Cedric S.
  • ‎Yu, Ian Steve Nash A.
  • ‎Calaunan, Dwein Markeen S.
  • ‎Mabanta, Dan Clyde V.
  • ‎Cañada, Cedric Julz S.

• The Journalists of SEA – First Runner-Up
  • Manilie A. Teston
  • Lhoyd Dagdagen
  • Michael C. Cabalona
  • Cindy Pascual

• The Shining STELArs – Second Runner-Up
  • Aldriana Baliton, Allyah Usal, Lorraine Kate Ogbac, Grethell Manuel
  • Justine De Guzman

Poster-Making Contest

• The Shining STELArs (Nathalie Princess España) – Champion
• The SNS Vipers (Marl Achilles M. Solomon) – First Runner-Up
• The School of SITizens (Jedd Ryle Rilloraza) – Second Runner-Up

This year’s pinnasiriban sparked meaningful discussion, creativity, and solutions to bridge the digital divide. The University remains committed to reducing inequality, particularly in digital access for all its students. Beyond the academic competitions, ongoing discussions on the digital divide and feasible solutions are expected to translate into real action by UBians in their communities.

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Written by: Juliyah Donato, OSA RADIANT Knight | Zhein Carlo Molina
Photos by: Regel Marc Baguio, OSA RADIANT Knight
Article enhancement by Gabriel Madriaga