3 Hillstar staffers win podium spots at DSPC 2026

Competing against top campus journalists in Davao City, three Hillstar staffers claimed podium finishes in their respective events at the Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC) held at Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (DRANHS), September 9-19, 2026.

Hillstar chief editor Audrey Leenuel Driz won first place in column writing, Nathan Chace Tan placed second in editorial writing, and Liam Ashton Zamora placed third in mobile journalism (MOJO).

“The most important lesson I learned is that, in writing a column, there’s more to just statistics,” Driz said while drawing from her experience in feature writing when she was in Grade 9.

The Hillstar editor-in-chief added that while statistics are logical and practical, they also represent people experiencing issues firsthand, making it important to humanize and creatively emphasize these issues.

This year’s DSPC featured two rounds of competition for individual writing events, where majority of the contestants were eliminated in the first round.

Meanwhile, Hillstar’s science writer Jose Miguel Omandam also made it to the final round of science and technology writing.

Other Hillstar staffers who participated were Agatha Clarice Lopez (news writing), Adrianna Mae Tan (feature writing), Chelsea Kristanna Tan (copyediting and headline writing), Raphael Mateo Marin (photojournalism-English), Juz Cyril Almeria (photojournalism-Filipino), Mickaylee Hazina Jocson (editorial cartooning), and Alyan Huan Chen (sports writing).

Hillstar moderator Chris Jay Leyga coached all writing events, while co-moderator Anamarie Jarrett and JHS MAPEH teacher Erick James Tee coached photojournalism events and editorial cartooning, respectively.

Audrey Driz’s first-place finish in column writing secured her a spot for this year’s edition of the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC).

As of this writing, DepEd Davao Region has yet to determine the number of participants who will qualify per individual event, but whether they select three or five, Nathan Tan and Liam Zamora will join Audrey in representing Davao City at the RSPC.