| November 15 to 23, 2012 | Selection of contestants from high schools |
| November 26 to December 7, 2012 | Selection of contestants from divisions |
| January 21 to 25, 2013 | Selection of contestants from regions |
| February 15, 2013 | National Finals
|
| March 20, 2013 | International Finals
|
The activity aims to provide Filipino students with the opportunity to display their impromptu speaking skills in the English language.
The participants in this activity are bona fide high school students who must be Filipino citizens and in Grade 9 (Third Year) or Grade 10 (Fourth Year).
Each region is entitled to send two (2) participants (one from a public high school and one from a private high school) to the National Finals. The mode of selection of the school participants will be left to the concerned school heads (SHs). The mode of selection of the division participants will be left to the concerned schools division/city superintendents (SDSs). The mode of selection of the regional participants will be up to the concerned regional directors (RDs).
The National Winner will represent the country in the International Finals.
Prizes in cash and in kind will be awarded to the top three participants in the National Finals and in the International Finals.
The rules and procedures for the contest are contained in Enclosure Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.
For more information, interested school principals may contact Ms. Lorie Juntilla or Ms. Grace Raif at telephone no.: (632) 524-5665 local 114, or may send a message at email address: themanilatimescollege@gmail.com.
Expenses incurred for the transportation and accommodation of regional representatives from public schools to the National Finals may be charged to regional funds, subject to the usual accounting and auditing procedures.
Immediate dissemination of this information is desired.
FIRST VOICE OF ASIA SPEECH CONTEST RULES
- The Voice of Asia Speech Contests aims to develop the public speaking skills of high school students.
- Each Region of the Department of Education is entitled to send two participants to the National Finals. One participant should come from a public high school. The other participant should come from a private high school.
- Each participant should be enrolled in Grade 9 (Third Year High School) or Grade 10 (Fourth Year High School) (or Grade 11 or Grade 12 in the case of calibrated and model schools) during or immediately before March 20, 2013. Students graduating from Grade 10 (or Grade 12 in the case of calibrated and model schools) in March 2013 are eligible to join.
- The National Finals will be held on February 15, 2013, at the Emilio Aguinaldo College Auditorium in Ermita, Manila.
- The International Finals will be held on March 20, 2013, at the Emilio Aguinaldo College Auditorium in Ermita, Manila.
- All expenses for attending the National Finals and/or the International Finals will be shouldered by the participant or his/her sponsor or country.
- Prizes in cash and kind totallin P150,000 will be given to the top five National Finalists: P50,000 (1s` prize), P40,000 (2° prize), P30,000 (3rd prize), P20,000 (4`h prize), P10,000 (5`h prize).
- Prizes in cash and kind totalling USD 15,000 will be given to the top five International Finalists: USD 5,000 (1st prize), USD 4,000 (2nd prize), USD 3,000 (3rd prize), USD 2,000 (4`h prize), and USD 1,000 (5` prize).
- Each participant will be given five minutes to deliver an impromptu speech on a topic to be given five minutes before his/her turn on stage.
- Only a general topic will be announced one week before the National Finals and two weeks before the International Finals. The finalists will draw lots to determine the order of speaking.
- The criteria for judging shall be: 50% for content and 50% for delivery.
- The decision of the Board of Judges is final.
FIRST VOICE OF ASIA SPEECH CONTEST PROCEDURES
During the National Finals and the International Finals, the following procedure will be followed:
- All contestants have to be in the designated Finalists' Room on or before 1:30 p.m. Contestants coming in later than 1:30 p.m. will be considered to be in default.
- No mobile phones or other means of communication will be allowed inside the Finalists' Room. Contestants are advised to maintain the highest standards of sportsmanship and honesty in this regard.
- At every round, contestants will draw lots to determine the order of speaking. No alteration in the order will be allowed for whatever reason. Any contestant not following the order will be considered in default.
- The finals shall consist of three stages:
- Elimination Round - all contestants will be given five (5) minutes each to give an impromptu speech
- Semifinal Round - the top ten contestants as chosen by the judges will be given three (3) minutes each to give an impromptu speech
- Final Round - the top five contestants as chosen by the judges will be given one (1) minute each to give an impromptu speech.
- Elimination Round:
- During the Elimination Round, when it is his/her turn to speak, each contestant will be called five (5) minutes before being asked to go onstage.
- S/he will be given the topic in order to him/her to prepare.
- The same topic shall be given to all the contestants.
- Five (5) minutes later, the contestant will be asked to go onstage and speak to the audience.
- One (1) minute before the five (5) minutes are up, a clerk sitting in the front row will put up a sign indicating that the contestant has only one (1) minute to go.
- When the five (5) minutes are up, a bell will ring. The contestant will be allowed to finish a sentence that s/he has started. If that last sentence is run-on or contains conjunctions, points will be deducted form the score of the contestant.
- Semifinal Round:
- During the Semifinal Round, when it is his/her turn to speak, each of the ten semifinalists will be called three (3) minutes before being asked to go onstage.
- S/he will pick a topic from a box of topics.
- The topic will be different for each contestant.
- Three (3) minutes later, the contestant will be asked to go onstage and speak to the audience.
- One (1) minute before the three (3) minutes are up, a clerk sitting in the front row will put up a sign indicating that the contestant has only one (1) minute to go.
- When the three (3) minutes are up, a bell will ring. The contestant will be allowed to finish a sentence that s/he has started. If that last sentence is run-on or contains conjunctions, points will be deducted from the score of the contestant.
- Final Round:
- During the Final Round, all the five finalists will be onstage.
- A tape will be played of a one-minute speech.
- Immediately after the taped speech, the first contestant will be given one (1) minute to give a speech taking off from the last sentence of the taped speech.
- Immediately after the speech of the first speaker, the second contestant will be given one (1) minute to give a speech taking off from the last sentence that the first contestant spoke.
- The same process will be followed by the other three contestants.
- Twenty (20) seconds before the one (1) minute is up, a clerk sitting in the front row will put up a sign indicating that the contestant has only twenty (20) seconds to go.
- When the one (1) minute is up, a bell will ring. The contestant will be allowed to finish a sentence that s/he has started. If that last sentence is run-on or contains conjunctions, points will be deducted form the score of the contestant
- There will be a microphone on stage that the contestant may, if s/he wishes, remove from the microphone stand.
- All the topics will be about a specific aspect of the general theme of "Education for All."
- Contestants should speak in English all throughout their speeches. Words in languages other than English will cause the judges to deduct points from a contestant's score.
- The criteria for judging shall be: 50% for content and 50% for delivery.
- Content includes organization, logic, appropriateness of examples, and accuracy of data.
- Delivery includes correctness of grammar and syntax, consistency of style or level of language, nonverbal communication (posture, gestures, movement, facial expression), and eye contact with the audience.
- The decisions of the Board of Judges are final.
