In the recently concluded 10th ASEAN National Quiz in Quezon City, Armela Persia, a high school student from the Bicol region, bagged 1st place in the ASEAN National Quiz.

The ASEAN National Quiz is a test for 9th and 10th-grade high school students on their knowledge of ASEAN culture and history.

Representing Donsol National Comprehensive School in Sorsogon, Persia went against 16 other representatives from different regions around the Philippines.

Despite being a first-timer in the ASEAN National Quiz, she topped the quiz towards the end, bagging 1st place. Persia also expressed that she was initially struggling during the start of the competition because she was a first-timer and winning was unexpected.

“Noong first part po kasi, hindi consistent ‘yong score ko so akala ko ‘ah, wala na ba-bye na’ — ganoon. Tapos after po noon, noong sa difficult round na ‘hala bakit alam ko ‘to’ — ganiyan, ganiyan. Doon po ako bumawi,” she said in a recent interview with People’s Television Network (PTV) together with her coach.

Persia also revealed that she is planning to become a military doctor in the future and might eventually try for the Philippine Military Academy.

Persia, together with 2 other top placers, will be sent to Myanmar as official Philippine representatives for the ASEAN Quiz. Persia will be competing against fellow high school students from different ASEAN nations.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs, Daniel R. Espiritu, also expressed his joy at another feat for the Filipino youth.

He stated that “the country is truly proud of how its youth have performed in the previous nine iterations, with Philippine teams consistently placing at or near the top of the rankings each time.”

The quiz is a project of the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information to promote healthy competition and ASEAN awareness among the youth.

It is now held every other year, rotating around different member countries of the ASEAN community. Early preparations will be done by Persia and her coach from her school, such as reviews.

Persia was awarded a cash prize worth PHP 50,000 and a Systems Technology Institute (STI) College scholarship.

She is now set to compete in Myanmar later this year to represent the Philippines at the regional level of the ASEAN National Quiz.

Source: https://dfa.gov.ph/dfa-news/dfa-releasesupdate/30583-bicol-student-places-first-in-10th-asean-quiz-national-competition-top-three-winners-to-represent-ph-in-myanmar, https://www.facebook.com/DonsolNCHS/, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=517980016729063