BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Ut-utan School will conduct its hymn contest in the last two weeks of December 2016 and the first week of January 2017. Since the founding of the school in the 1950’s, there has never been an official school hymn.
Starting as a primary school, it is now a complete elementary school with its 6th grade in place this school year. It will have its first batch of elementary graduates this coming April 2017. Still, with the name Ut-utan Primary School, it is hopeful that it be officially named Ut-utan Elementary School with the application to be filed soon, and hopeful approval of said application.
It has been the desire of the school faculty to have a school hymn. In its faculty meeting on December 7, 2016, it was approved that the school conducts a hymn contest and that the winning piece is sung by the public, to be led by the first batch of graduating pupils to be conducted by the composer-winner during the first commencement exercises.
In the same meeting, the Ut-utan School Hymn Contest Committee was composed with this writer as Chairperson and the following as members: Head Teacher Grail Cabna P. Beleo, School representative; Paula S. Pangesfan, Community representative; Eva Mila F. Fana-ang, Alumni representative, and Wilbur T. Comafay, PTA representative.
The guidelines for the hymn contest are as follows: The contest is open to all alumni of Ut-utan School, Bontoc, Mountain Province, the lyrics should appropriately describe the school, the Igorot tune (salidummay) is integrated in the lyrics and melody of the hymn, particularly in the Refrain, the general criteria are: lyrics – 50%, melody (with notes) – 40%, and performance – 10%., the deadline for the submission of entries will be January 5, 2017, at 5 p.m. at the Ut-utan School, Bontoc, Mountain Province, c/o The Chairperson, Ut-Utan School Hymn Contest Committee. 6) Judging will be on January 6, 2017, at 2 p.m. at the said school, each composer-contestant will sing his/her own composition before the Board of Judges, the Ut-Utan School Hymn Contest Committee, the faculty, and others present. The order of presentation will be through draw lots. The winner gets Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000) with a Certificate of Recognition. The composer-winner will teach the hymn to the school administration, faculty and pupils. The decision of the Board of Judges will be final and executory.
The above results of the meeting were forwarded to the Head Teacher who approved/confirmed the school hymn contest.
By GEORGINA M. KUMALAO
