Minddanaotoday.com | XU, Phinma-COC win Wits by slim margins
By: URIEL QUILINGUING
Teams from Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan (XU) and Philippine Investment Marketing-Cagayan de Oro College (Phinma-COC) were proclaimed champions of the 2023 “War of the Wits” at the Ayala-Centrio mall, Cagayan de Oro City on August 21, this year.
XU Junior High School (JHS) and Phinma-COC Elementary Department topped of the score sheets by just a point each, over seven other schools in the multi-disciplinary five-round quiz show, under the auspices of Rotary and Rotaract Clubs of Carmen Valley.
Two questions had to be asked to settle the deadlock of points between Gusa Regional High School (GRSHS) and XU-JHS at the end of the fifth and final round: XU-JHS gave the correct answer to Question No. 2.
The question was “In what object did Jose Rizal hide his poem, Mi Ultimo Adios, before he gave this to her (his) sister Narcisa?” XU-JHS’ answer was “lamp” while GRSHS’ was “bottle” while the three possible answers were: Alcohol stove, lampara, and lamparilla.
Both teams of four members, including an alternate, failed to give “Hubei” as the answer to Question No. 1 which was: “In what province in China, the first known human COVID-19 has been reported?”
Gusa RSHS settled for second while Oro Christian Grace School was third. Other teams were from Agusan NHS, Cagayan de Oro NHS, East Gusa NHS, Lourdes College HS, Phinma-COC HS, Sacred and Heart of Bugo HS.
The XU-JHS team was composed of James Ching, Jaythena Verra Ibarra, Jan Macerick Navarfro, and Brayden Eli Weehansuh, while that of Phinma-COC were Mycah Chua, Haniera Montay, and Jacob Paduga.
Elementary Level Champion Phinma-COC team capitalized on her two points in the opening round and ended the contest with 31 points, while eventual second and third place winners Cagayan de Oro City Central School (CDO-CCS) and XU Grade School ended up with 30 and 28 points, respectively.
Both CDO-CCS and XUGS got a point each in the first round. Other teams were from Liceo de Cagayan University GS, Lourdes College GS, Oro Christian Grace School, Puerto Elementary School, and CDO West City Central School.
These after some coaches of elementary level teams protested questions and answers in Rounds 5, 4 and 3 were resolved by a three-member panel of judges. One of the protests was on the terminology on measuring of a circle and a square. Aside from circumference, perimeter was also accepted as correct answer.
As announced by quiz-masters Alvin Lagumbay and Ladylene Almanzor, both members of RC of Carmen Valley, the prizes for were: P10,000, P7,000, and P4,000 for the champion, second and third place winners, aside from trophies and medals. Coaches of winners also got separate cash prizes.
Higala-ay Festival co-chairman Rico Libre, Cagayan de Oro City tourism officer, graced the activity which is one of the parallel events for the annual Saint Augustine Fiesta on August 28 of Cagayan de Oro. With him were Rotary Club of Carmen Valley President Mario Cuarez and Rotaract Club of Carmen Valley President Marvin Chua, former and current officers of both clubs.
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