Bicolano secondary students converge in Legazpi for Padunungan 2026

High school students across the Bicol Region have gathered for PADUNUNGAN 2026, hosted by UP IBALON on January 10-11, 2026, at Embarcadero de Legazpi. The event demonstrates the students' prowess and values regarding social issues, promoting active civic participation in society for future generations.

Embodying this year's theme, “Diwang Mulat, Diwang Malaya: Strengthening the Youth's Social Awareness and Involvement in Civic Affairs,” the event seeks to nurture the civic consciousness of young people and kindle their grasp of and involvement in pressing issues across different social contexts.

The vision of PADUNUNGAN is to provide a platform to demonstrate talent, creativity, and values in an ensemble of competitions—accentuating the best of each competing school.

Participating schools for this year's Padunungan include Marcial O. Rañola Memorial School, Legazpi City Science High School, Naga City Science High School, Sorsogon City National High School, and other secondary schools in the Junior and Senior High School categories, and constitutes around 700 students across the Bicol Region.

In the opening section of the programme, Bicol University - University Student Council Public Information Officer, Mx. Jan Sander Aban, and Chairperson and Student Regent, Mx. Kyle Reuben Bron, urged the participating students to take proactive steps in advocating for civic participation and societal reforms.

Particularly, Mx. Bron emphasized the importance of smaller steps in catalyzing the change envisioned for the community and the country.

"You cannot change this country alone. You cannot institute reforms in solitude. You need people to get to the destination," he remarked.

The history of Padunungan takes its roots from its rebirth in 1981 as a quiz show among secondary schools in Bicol, similar in form to its present iteration, which coincided with the revival of other Bicol-based activities such as the Piyok, a choral fest.