National Statistics Month is a momentous occasion celebrated with enthusiasm in various communities. Beyond government agencies and institutions, educational communities play a crucial role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG No. 17, which underscores the significance of partnerships for achieving the global agenda.

SDG No. 17 emphasizes the significance of global partnerships and collaboration as a means to achieve all the other SDGs. The 17th goal recognizes that the challenges posed by poverty, inequality, climate change, and more are interconnected and require joint efforts from governments, businesses, civil society, and academia. National Statistics Month aligns with this goal by fostering collaboration in the realm of data and statistics. In connection with this, educational communities continually think of enjoyable ways to forge data literacy among students.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐜𝐤-𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭

The Isabela State University – Angadanan Campus Library was abuzz with anticipation on the morning of October 25, 2023, as the mind game event of the 34th National Statistics Month commenced. The month-long activity was aptly themed, “Accelerating Progress: Promoting Data and Statistics for Healthy Philippines”. In line with the theme itself, the participants and spectators were gathered carrying the same spirit to celebrate the significance of statistics and knowledge sharing.

The day began with a solemn prayer, followed by the singing of the National Anthem and the ISU Hymn through the accompaniment of an audio-visual presentation. Dr. Editha C. Bautista, Chairperson of the Bachelor of Secondary Education Program, delivered the welcome address, setting the stage for the intellectual showdown that was about to unfold. She thanked all the participants for joining and encouraged them to continue the path of life-long learning. The excitement grew even more among the participants and facilitators when Dr. Bautista declared “Let the battle begin!” at the last part of her speech.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬

The highlight of the morning’s events was the Quiz Bowl competition, where participants showcased their knowledge of statistics in a series of challenging rounds. The contest was a team effort, with groups of at least three (3) freshmen members competing on behalf of various programs and colleges within the ISU-AC. Two or more groups that came from the same program or college would also compete against each other in winning the competition. The programs and colleges represented included but were not limited to BS Crim, DAT-BAT, BSHM, BTVTED, BSED, BSIT-ELT, BSIT-FSM, BSIT-ELX, BSIT-AUTO and BS InfoTech.

The quiz bowl mechanics were well-defined, with multiple rounds and specific categories of questions. Each round featured questions of varying difficulty, ranging from Easy (5 questions) to Average (9 questions) and Difficult (8 questions). All questions were multiple-choice type, and participants were not allowed to use calculators during the Easy and Average rounds. The hosts and/or quiz masters, Ms. Armie Angel L. Piligan and Mr. Cezar Delizo from 2nd year BSEd-Mathematics, announced specific time limits for each question, providing a challenging environment for the participants. The scoring system was clear, with Easy questions worth 1 point, Average questions worth 3 points, and Difficult questions carrying a weight of 5 points. In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker question was ready to determine the ultimate winner. Participants were allowed to request a review of the quiz masters’ decision or scoring within a specified time frame.

Mr. Roque Doliro, one of the core faculties of BSEd-Mathematics, actively facilitated the students from 2nd-year BSEd-Mathematics to make sure that everything was in order and that there was no cheating by any means. They roamed around the event place and worked harmoniously so that the most success in terms of proper decorum during the said activity was achieved.

During the competition, everyone was attuned with their respective groups as they listened to every question. While participants were warming up during the easy round, each group member stayed seated while talking and collaborating on what the answer would be. They flashed on their answer sheets—for answer boards were unavailable at the time. As the difficulty of the questions increased (i.e. from average to difficult), the participants eventually couldn’t help but stand on their feet and create necessary noises to make sure they did the flashing of answers appropriately and within time constraints. Everyone seemed to have genuinely enjoyed the game because both the participants and spectators sometimes shrieked when some teams got the right answers and sighed when all teams did not get a difficult item.

There were no elimination rounds throughout the game so every team was able to participate until the very end. Though the winning team had a significant score gap from the losing teams, the latter still displayed courage, endurance, camaraderie, and sportsmanship in the face of defeat. After all, it was a friendly competition that every participant could benefit from.

At the end of the thrilling contest, champions emerged, including the 1st and 2nd runners-up, in a testament to their dedication to the art of statistics and problem-solving.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

The activity culminated at 10 o’clock with an awarding ceremony to honor the achievements of the participants. Certificates were awarded to the winners who had proven their mettle in the Quiz Bowl. On top of that, they were also given school supplies as a reward for their amazing involvement.
The champions arose from the DAT-BAT program namely: Rodel Padua, Franklin Jacob Sinfuego, John Meynard Labuguen, and Crislyn Candoy. While, the first runners-up emerged from CCJE: Yvan Daracan, Ricko Baricau, and Camyl Faith Bulan. Furthermore, the second runners-up came from BSIT-Electronics: Bea Alonzo, Ivy Asuncion, and Prince Sarmiento.

Dr. Eugelyn R. Felix delivered the closing remarks, highlighting the significance of celebrating National Statistics Month through such an intellectually stimulating event. She praised the participants for their commitment to learning and encouraged them to continue their pursuit of knowledge in the world of statistics.

Mr. Jhamil Rivera, one of the faculty members of BSEd-Mathematics, felt elated about the success of the event and pointed out the importance of what had transpired. “Fun events like this during National Statistics Month are quite important because they help Math instructors like me to assess the current level of 1st-year students when it comes to statistics,” said Mr. Rivera. “So far we are very glad that the students are at the level we anticipated them to be at this point,” he added.

The 34th National Statistics Month’s “Quiz Bowl” was an intellectual spectacle that showcased the talents and dedication of the Isabela State University – Angadanan Campus in celebrating the world of statistics. It served as a reminder of the power of knowledge, the thrill of competition, and the sure relevance of statistics in our lives and our nation’s future.