Enclosure No. 1 to Division Memorandum No. _____, s.

2024

GUIDELINES FOR THE SELECTION OF WINNERS IN THE DIFFERENT

INDIVIDUAL WRITING CONTESTS
The Individual Writing Contests are designed to showcase the competencies of campus
journalists and promote fair and ethical use of media as tenets of responsible journalism.
Only learners from private and public schools with school papers (print, digital/electronic
publication), either in English or Filipino for the school year 2023-2024 can participate.
First place winners in secondary and top two (2) winners for elementary (district winners)
both in English and Filipino are allowed to compete in their respective contest categories.
The following guidelines will be strictly implemented:
A. General:
1. Should there be questions and assistance needed, the participants can only raise their
concerns to the assigned proctor and/or examiner.
2. School paper advisers, teachers, principals, parents, or guardians who will be found in
the contest venue will be grounds for disqualification of their contestants.
3. A two – round elimination for Individual Writing Contests (elementary/secondary,
English/Filipino) will be employed.
4. Top 5 winners for the first round elimination will proceed to the second round.
5. The top five (5) winners per medium for the second round shall be recognized and
their points will be included in the computation of the overall scores (combined scores
of Individual and Group Contests).
6. Any violation of the stipulated guidelines will be grounds for the disqualification of the
participant.
7. The decision of the Board of Judges in all aspects of the contest is final and
irrevocable.
B. Specific:
1. News Writing, Feature Writing, Editorial Writing, Science and Technology Writing, and
Column Writing
a. Fact sheets or other sources of information shall be given to the contestants as
bases for writing the article.
2. Sports Writing
a. The DTWG shall orient and provide instructions to the contestants before the
contest proper.
b. A pre-game conference shall be conducted for the introduction of the players,
coaches, and tournament officials.
c. An actual game shall be covered by the contestants.
d. A post-game conference shall be held to interview officials and athletes after the
game.
e. The contestants shall proceed to the designated contest room for the writing of the
sports article.
3. Copyreading and Headline Writing
a. The contestants shall bring their pencils for the contest.
b. The contestants shall follow the directions given in the contest piece.
c. The contestant shall provide a headline for the article.
4. Editorial Cartooning
a. The contestants shall bring their own pencil no. 2 while the DTWG shall provide
oslo papers for the contest.
b. The cartoon must be anchored on the given topic or issue.
c. The cartoon should be compliant with the professional and ethical standards of
media.
 5. Photojournalism
a. Preparation
1. Contestants should be at the contest venue one (1) hour before the orientation
on the guidelines and rubrics.
2. The contestants are allowed to use any digital camera (point and shoot only)
with a maximum of 24.3 megapixels with fixed lenses.
Contestants who will use any DSLR and other high-end cameras (internal
memory) will not be permitted to join the contest.
3. The contestants shall submit empty memory cards and cameras (internal
memory) to be checked by the examiner/s a day before the opening program.
4. The contestant should bring his/her camera cable for uploading and saving
pictures.
5. Cellular phones, extra digital cameras, extra storage cards, or any additional
materials/equipment are not allowed in the contest area.
6. Contestants shall bring their black ink ballpens while the DTWG will provide
scratch papers where contestants can write down notes during the shooting.
b. Provision for Memory Card
1. The contestants shall load the empty storage card in front of the examiner on
the contest day.
c. Photoshoot, Uploading and Captioning
1. The loading and unloading of the storage card will be done in front of the
examiner.
2. The control shot shall be the first shot.
3. Contestants are given one (1) hour to take pictures.
4. Contestants are allowed to take unlimited shots but will submit only five (5)
possible photos with captions for the given theme and the control shot.
5. Write the file name of each photo in the caption sheet.
6. Caption sheets will be provided by the DTWG
7. Contestants will be given 30 minutes to write captions for each of the five (5)
photos.
8. Throughout the duration of the competition, the advisers, trainers and
parents/guardians are NOT allowed in the venue.

GUIDELINES FOR RADIO SCRIPTWRITING AND BROADCASTING CONTEST

A. General Guidelines
1. Each district/secondary school shall organize a team of seven (7) members for English
and Filipino in elementary and secondary levels who shall not be competing in any of
the individual writing categories.
2. To facilitate proper identification, the participants shall wear their school uniform with
their valid school IDs.
3. Orientation shall be conducted for all the contestants. The directors will draw lots to
determine the order of the presentation.
4. The awards for this category are the following:

Individual Awards Group Awards

1. Best Anchor 1.Best in Technical Application
2. Best News Presenter 2.Best Infomercial
3.Best Script
5. In getting the overall results for best radio production, accumulated points from the
individual and group awards shall be considered.
6. Any violation of the stipulated guidelines will be grounds for disqualification of the
team.
 7. The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.

B. Scriptwriting
1. Each team may use up to four (4) official laptops that are cleared of stored documents,
and an inkjet printer in preparing and printing script. All laptops should be submitted
to the contest committee for inspection on February 27, 2024, 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM.
Each team is required to bring their extension wires and other equipment.
2. The team will be given one (1) hour and thirty (30) minutes to prepare a script for a
five-minute radio broadcast that includes one (1) infomercial and four (4) news
articles.
The infomercial may depict health, environment, politics, and social issues. It shall
have a maximum length of one (1) minute and shall use the language that the group is
competing in.
The news articles may be based on press releases, raw data, or any other source given
by the examiner/s.
Another 30 minutes for the printing of the output. After two (2) hours, each team
should submit four copies of the script. Three (3) copies will be submitted to the
judges and one (1) copy will be submitted to the examiner/s. The team may print extra
copies for their use.
3. Once the scriptwriting has commenced, the contestants will no longer be allowed to
leave the contest rooms. For personal necessities, the proctor shall accompany them
to the restrooms.
4. The script should not bear any information that may identify the school and district
but it should include the names of the members of the team with their respective roles
(i.e. anchor, news presenter, etc.)
5. Scripts should be:
-encoded using Arial font size 12;
-with directional instructions in capital letters;
-double-spaced with normal margin (1 inch on all sides); and
-printed in A4-sized bond paper (8.27x11.69 inches).
C. Broadcast Simulation
1. A broadcast room for the presentation shall be identified in the contest venue. Only the
contestants, judges, and examiner/s shall be allowed inside.
2. The organizers/host school shall commission an independent sound system provider to
ensure quality audio output. The technical operator shall only set the sound system before the
simulation. A jack/auxiliary cord/adapter will be provided for the laptops and other sources of
sound effects.
3. Except for the volume meter, contestants/technical directors shall not be allowed to change,
adjust, or manipulate the main control board during their presentation.
4. Mobile phones and reference materials shall not be allowed in the contest area.
5. In case of power failure, the affected shall be allowed to broadcast again.
6. Loudspeakers may be set up outside the broadcast room.
7. Each team shall be given nine (9) minutes: three (3) minutes for preparation, five (5) minutes
for the actual broadcast, and one (1) minute for the exit. Provided running time shall be applied.
8. The organizers shall provide a clock or a timer that can be seen by the contestants and the
judges. There will be an official timekeeper.
9. A yellow flaglet shall be raised to signal the team that they have one (1) minute left for the
preparation. A green flaglet shall then be raised to signal the time to start. A yellow flaglet shall
be raised again to warn the team that they only have one (1) minute remaining followed by a red
flaglet to indicate that their time is up.
10. The team who complied with the five-minute production shall be given a perfect score (5
points). In case of overtime or undertime, the following scheme of deductions shall be followed:
Undertime/Overtime
1 second – 3 seconds – 1 point
4 seconds – 20 seconds – 2 points
21 seconds – 40 seconds – 3 points
41 seconds – 60 seconds – 4 points
60 seconds and above – 5 points
11. The undertime or overtime shall be deducted from the final average score.

GUIDELINES FOR THE COLLABORATIVE DESKTOP PUBLISHING CONTEST

1. Each district/secondary school shall organize a team of five (5) members for
English and Filipino both in elementary and secondary levels who shall not be
competing in any of the individual writing categories.
2. Contestants shall wear their school uniform and IDs.
3. All contestants are required to attend the orientation before the competition.
4. All contestants are not allowed to go back to their quarters nor communicate in all
forms (text, call, chat, etc.) with their respective advisers from the start until the
end of the contest.
5. A mini press conference and a sports event shall be held as bases for the
content of the publication (i.e., news, features, editorial, editorial cartoon, sports).
The photojournalists shall take pictures of the mini press conference and sports
event.
6. For the actual sports event, a pre-game conference shall be conducted for the
introduction of the players, coaches, and tournament officials. Consequently, a
post conference shall be held for interviews and data gathering.
7. The team will be given one (1) hour for data gathering and five (4) hours for
writing, layout, and editing.
8. Each team is allowed to bring only the following:
 two (2) digital/DSLR cameras;
 one (1) inkjet printer with scanner;
 one (1) card reader;
 one (1) blank flash drive;
 extension wires;
 maximum of four (4) laptops installed with either PAGEMAKER or IN DESIGN
and Photoshop (for the secondary level) and Microsoft Publisher (for the
elementary level) for the layout of the group’s final output; and
 A4 size bond paper.
9. Laptops to be submitted to the DTWG shall be labeled with the following format:
Category – Medium – Level –District
Name, School
e.g.
Collaborative Desktop Publishing – English – Secondary – Placer I District
Juan dela Cruz, Placer National High School
Labels shall be in a whole bond paper size pasted on or attached to the laptop bag.
10. Official laptops, previously cleared of stored documents, shall be submitted to the
DTWG on February 27, 2024 (up to 5:00 PM only) to check for any other
application and pre-written documents or references therein. Failure to submit the
laptops on or before the set deadline shall mean disqualification of the competing
team.
11.The host school, Alegria Central Elem. School will provide six (6) scanners for the
editorial cartoon, three (3) for elementary and three (3) for secondary
(English/Filipino) as a backup for the contestants.
12.Mobile phones and other electronic gadgets shall not be allowed except for digital
cameras/DSLRs and laptops with disabled internet connection.
13.Each team will be required to convert their output into PDF, print in A4 size bond
paper, and submit it to the examiner/s. The collaborative desktop publishing team
shall submit both hard and soft copies of their entries. They should ensure that no
identifying marks about their school can be found on their output as it would be
a ground for disqualification.
14.The output of the contest is an A4-size four page, full-colored publication. The
output will be stored in a flash drive provided by the examiner/s and uploaded to
the designated computer for judging.
15.The top five (5 teams) shall be recognized, and their points will be included in the
determination of the overall scores.
16.The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.

GUIDELINES FOR THE ONLINE PUBLISHING CONTEST

1. Each district/secondary school shall organize a team of five (5) members for
English and five (5) members for Filipino both at the secondary level who shall not
be competing in any of the individual writing categories.
2. Contestants shall wear their school uniform and IDs.
3. All contestants are required to attend the one-hour orientation before the
competition.
4. All contestants are not allowed to go back to their quarters nor communicate in all
forms (text, call, chat, etc.) with their respective advisers from the start until the
end of the contest.
5. A mini press conference and a sports event shall be held as bases for the content
of the publication (i.e., news, features, editorial, editorial cartoon, sports). The
photojournalists shall take pictures of the mini press conference and sports event.
6. For the actual sports event, a pre-game conference shall be conducted for the
introduction of the players, coaches, and tournament officials. Consequently, a
post conference shall be held for interviews and data gathering.
7. The team will be given three (3) hours for writing, layout, and editing articles
online after the creation of an online publication using the official platform to be
provided by the organizer. Coverage/Data gathering through a mini press
conference, the pre-game, actual game, and post-conference shall be excluded from
the three-hour time allotment.
8. Specific instructions on the number of articles to be produced will be given during
the orientation.
9. Each team is allowed to bring only the following:
 one (1) flatbed scanner/3-1 printer (mobile/phone scanner is NOT allowed;
 maximum of two (2) digital cameras – digital camera (point and shoot only) with
a maximum of 24.3 megapixels with fixed lenses. Contestants who will use any
DSLR and other high-end cameras will not be permitted to join the contest
(Standard process in the Photojournalism Event shall be observed in checking
the cameras and SD cards);
 maximum of four (4) laptops installed with Photoshop for image enhancement;
  maximum of two (2) pocket wifis (preferably with two different networks) or one
(1) wireless router; and
 extension cord
5
10. Laptops to be submitted to the DTWG shall be labeled with the following format:
Category – Medium – Level – District
Name, School
e.g.
Online Publishing – English – Secondary – Placer I District
Juan dela Cruz, Placer National High School
Labels shall be in a whole bond paper pasted on or attached to the laptop bag.
11.Official laptops, previously cleared of stored documents, shall be submitted to the
DTWG on February 27, 2024 (up to 5:00 PM only) to check for any other
application and pre-written documents or references. Failure to submit the laptops
on or before the set deadline shall mean disqualification of the competing team.
12.Each group shall email their URL to the assigned examiner.
13.The top five (5) teams shall be recognized, and the points will be included in the
determination of the overall standing. All competing teams shall be given points
and ranked accordingly.
14.The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.
GUIDELINES FOR TV SCRIPTWRITING AND BROADCASTING
A. General Guidelines
1. Each district/secondary school shall organize a team of seven (7) members for English
and seven (7) members for Filipino at the secondary level who shall not be competing in
any of the individual writing categories.
a. scriptwriter/s
b. anchor/s
c. reporter/s
d. producer/director who could also act as floor director
e. video/graphics editor
f. video journalist/cameraman
Any of the team members can assume two (2) or more positions/tasks, as long as this would not
be conflicting or awkward about the outcome of the broadcast (for example an anchor can’t be a
reporter at the same time. But an anchor can also be a news or infomercial writer.)
2. A 30-minute technical orientation will be held on the morning of February 27, 2024, for
the director and video/graphics editor. The, each team will be given five (5) minutes to
visit the mock broadcast room.
3. In getting the overall results for the best TV broadcast, accumulated points from the
individual and group awards shall be considered.
4. Below are the awards to be given:
Individual Awards: Best TV Anchor, Best TV Reporter, Best Director
Group Awards: Best in Technical Application, Best Developmental Communication,
Best News Script, Best TV Newscast
5. Any violation of the stipulated guidelines will be grounds for disqualification of the team.
6. The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.
PRE-CONTEST
1. Each team will be required to bring only the following:
 maximum of four (4) laptops with at least 10GB free space and a video editing
program (with uploading capacity);
  three (3) empty USB Flash Drives (16GB minimum)
 maximum of two (2) cameras/mobile phones (without sim) compatible with the
laptop;
 maximum of three (wired lapel microphones;
 A4 bond paper;
 one (1) printer with ink; and
 extension cord.

2. Laptops and flash drives to be submitted to the DTWG shall be labeled with the following
format:
Category – Medium – Level – District
Director’s Name, School
e.g.
TV Scriptwriting and Broadcasting – English – Secondary – Placer I
Juan dela Cruz, Placer National High School
Labels for laptops shall be in a whole bond paper attached to the laptop bag.
Flash drives shall be sealed in an envelope with a label.
3. Checking and sealing of laptops shall be done on February 27, 2024 (until 5:00 PM only).
Laptops shall be clear of stored documents except for the pre-recorded Opening Billboard
(OBB) and Closing Billboard (CBB) and offline editing software.
4. Failure to submit the laptops on or before the set deadline shall mean disqualification of
the competing team.
5. Only the equipment and tools in the mock broadcast room are allowed to be used by the
participants during the actual presentation.
6. Before the start of the contest, the teams will be oriented on the roles of the participants
and criteria for judging by the board of judges. All participants should attend this
orientation.
7. The directors will draw lots to determine the order of the presentation. Then, contest
materials saved in flash drives sealed in envelopes shall be distributed to the directors.
CONTEST PROPER
A. SCRIPTWRITING AND PRODUCTION
1. The team shall have the following components in their script:
a. Cover page: This shall contain the group’s name (mock TV network name).
b. News: The DTWG will provide five (5) sets of data (including photos/videos/audio) in
folders saved in a flash drive. The team may use all sets of data for their news reports.
Each news scrip should indicate the corresponding video and/or audio component
taken from the folders or produced during the actual contest.
c. Infomercial/Developmental Communication: The DTWG will provide two (2) sets of
data (including photos/videos/audio) in folders saved in a flash drive. The team is
required to produce one (1) infomercial or developmental communication plug. This
shall be produced during the contest and should be related to the topic which will be
given by the judges. The script should contain video and audio components.
d. Field Report: A live field report with or without canned video support shall be included
in the production.
e. Headlines: These will contain a brief lead/summary of the news articles.
f. OBB/CBB: The OBB ad CBB will contain the group’s assumed TV network name. The
script for the OBB/CBB should be included in the main script which will be submitted
to the judges.
2. Five (5) hours and 15 minutes will be allotted for the preparation of the script, shooting,
and editing of the videos, production of the infomercial, and rehearsals. All groups shall
stop working after the allotted time. A buzzer shall signal the end of the scriptwriting and
production time.
3. The organizers shall provide a clock or timer that can be seen by the contestants. There
will be an official timekeeper.
4. Once the scriptwriting has commenced, the contestants will no longer be allowed to leave
the contest venue. Members shall only be allowed to go out of the room when it is time for
their team to perform and for personal necessities accompanied by a proctor.
5. Each team shall prepare four (4) copies of the script: three (3) copies for the judges and
one (1) copy for the team.

6. The cover page of the script shall contain the group’s name (TV Network name) and the
names of the members of the team with their respective roles (i.e., anchor, field reporter,
etc.)
7. The script should not bear any information that may identify the school or district.
8. There shall be designated holding rooms for each member of the team according to one’s
role, where they proceed and stay after the time accordingly.

B. TV BROADCAST SKILLS PERFORMANCE

1. Only two (2) laptops are allowed inside the studio: one (1) as a substitute for teleprompter
and one (1) for the technical application.
2. News shall be composed of live and edited reports, which were produced during the given
production time. Only the OBB/CBB and stingers/audio bed are prerecorded/pre-
produced.
3. Video and Audio Playback to be used for the live reports are either taken from the folders
or produced on the day of the contest.
4. Other than the actual broadcast time, ten (10) minutes shall be allotted for entrance and
preparation.
5. Each team shall be given ten (10) minutes of preparation with the assistance of the
technical experts (service providers). Three warnings shall be given to each team who fails
to start after the allotted time for preparation provided no technical issue arises.
First warning – 1 minute
Second warning – 1 minute and 30 seconds
Third/final warning – 2 minutes
6. After the third warning and the team fails to start, disqualification will be imposed.
7. A clock or digital timer will be provided by the host school to guide the contestants and
DTWG.
8. The timekeeper shall raise the green flaglet to signal the start of the presentation. A yellow
flaglet shall be raised to signal that the six (6) minutes allotted for the group have been
consumed.
9. In case of overtime/undertime in the prescribed duration of the broadcast, the following
points shall be deducted from the points earned in the criterion adherence to time
allotment (5%).
1 second - 3 seconds - 1 point
4 seconds – 30 seconds – 2 points
31 seconds - 60 seconds - 3 points
61 seconds - 90 seconds - 4 points
91 seconds - 120 seconds - 5 points
10.The timekeeper shall give the judges a copy of the record of the broadcast running time of
each group right after the performance. The record should indicate how many
seconds/minutes each group went over/under time if they did. The timekeeper shall also
announce the time started, time finished, incurred undertime/overtime, and the
corresponding deductions of the group.
11.Thee (3) minutes shall be allotted for the exit.
12.The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.
 GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL PAPER CONTESTS
(in Portable Digital Format)
A. The School Paper Contest is open to elementary and secondary schools.
B. The top five (5) highest pointers both in English and Filipino shall be declared winners in
the division but the points of their ranking shall not be added to the individual and group
contest results.
C. For any school paper found to have copied and published texts, images, and other
materials without duly acknowledging their sources, the following sanctions shall be
applied:
First Offense: Disqualification from the contest
Second Offense: A formal notification shall be sent to the Public Schools District
Supervisors who shall inform the concerned school heads. The PSDS shall issued a
written reprimand to the school paper adviser/s and school principal/s. The concerned
school paper adviser shall undergo a refresher course on plagiarism organized by the
SDO. Accordingly, the school head shall implement plan and programs on intensifying
academic honesty and integrity.
Third Offense: Disqualification from the School Paper Contest for three (3) consecutive
years
D. The decision of the Board of Judges in all aspects of the contest shall be deemed final and
irrevocable.
E. For 2024 DSPC, each school shall submit school paper (English and Filipino) in PDF
through a google drive link to be provided by the organizers.
F. The different SECTIONS/CATEGORIES in the school paper contest both English and
Filipino, are as follows:
1. News Section / Pahinang Balita
2. Editorial Section / Pahinang Editoryal
3. Features Section / Pahinang Lathalain
4. Sports Section / Pahinang Pampalakasan
5. Science and Technology Section / Pahinang Agham at Teknolohiya
6. Layout and Page Design Category / Kategoryang Pag-aanyo at Disenyo ng Pahina
G. The technical specifications for both Elementary and Secondary Levels are as follows:
1. No. of pages: minimum of 12 and maximum of 20
 News Section – at least three (3)
 Sports Section – at least two (2)
 Feature Section – at least three (3)
 Editorial Section – at least two (2)
 Science and Technology Section – at least two (2)
2. Process: Digital
3. Color: All pages in full color
4. Size: 9”x12” (Elementary)
12”x18” (Secondary)
H. Failure to comply with the set guidelines in evaluating school papers will be a ground for
disqualification.
GUIDELINES FOR THE SELECTION OF THE BEST SECTIONS AND LAYOUT AND PAGE
DESIGN CATEGORIES FOR THE SCHOOL PAPER CONTEST
A. Editorial Section
 1. The section should have at least two (2) pages and should include the following: main
editorial, editorial cartoon, columns, letters to the editor, and commentaries. Opinion
polls or surveys may be included but are not required.
2. The treatment of the issues must demonstrate a fair and balanced presentation of
both sides of the issue tackled, clear moral purpose, logical reasoning, and proper
citations or attributions of sources.
3. Topics found in the section should tackle various international, national, or local
issues that may directly or indirectly affect the school or the community the school
serves.
4. The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.
B. News Section
1. The section shall consist of at least three (3) pages.
2. The content and scope of the news stories shall cover international, national, regional,
community, and school-based news stories.
3. The content of the section may include straight or spot news, advance/follow-up
reports, news bits, news features, news analysis, and in-depth news/investigative
news.
4. The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.
C. Features Section
1. The section should have at least three (3) pages
2. The feature articles should display a unique and creative presentation of topics, logical
organization of ideas and facts, writers’ facility of the language, and proper citations
and attributions of sources.
3. The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.
D. Sports Section
1. The section shall consist of at least two (2) pages.
2. The content and scope of the sports articles shall include coverage of international,
national, regional, community, and school-based sports news stories.
3. The content of the section may include straight or spot news, advance/follow-up
reports; news bits; news features/news analysis; in-depth news, features, and
editorial or column concerning or pertaining to sports.
4. The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.
E. Science and Technology Section
1. The Science and Technology Section should have at least two (2) pages.
2. The content may include health, environmental, scientific, technological, and
innovative stories written in news, feature, or scientific commentary style. This should
also include the economic impact of Science and Technology on the lives of Filipino.
3. The articles should be well-researched and should observe proper citation of sources,
pictures, and graphics.
4. The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.
F. Layout and Page Design Category
1. This category shall conform to the principles of layout and design.
2. The content (texts and images) should consider a range of stories about the
community and the school, including those of international, national, and local
significance.
3. The decision of the Board of Judges is final and irrevocable.