The Caraga Council of Tourism Deans and Educators, in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education – Caraga Regional Office (CHED Caraga), held various contests for Caraga Higher Education Institution (HEI) students and faculty in tourism-related programs on the afternoon of August 20, 2021 via ZOOM Teleconferencing and Facebook Live as part of the activities for the month-long celebration of the 54th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Founding Anniversary.

Four (4) contests were organized and conducted: Virtual Tour Guiding, Mobile Photography, Cake Decorating, and Mr. and Ms. ASEAN. All contests had the same central theme, “Padyak! Moving forward, claiming victory for the Philippine Higher Education (PHE) in the ASEAN Community.”

For the Virtual Tour Guiding contest, participating HEIs were challenged to create a video between 10-30 minutes in length highlighting the eco-tourism in Caraga, and featuring a bicycle for the padyak element. The winners of this contest were subsequently announced during the culmination program on August 27, 2021: 1st Place with a cash prize of Php 3,000 – Agusan Del Sur College (ADSCO); 2nd Place with a cash prize of Php 2,000 – Butuan Doctors College (BDC); and 3rd Place with a cash prize of Php 1,000 – Philippine Electronics and Communication Institute of Technology (PECIT).

For the Mobile Photography contest, participating HEIs were allowed to submit up to two (2) entries. Along with their images, participants submitted details of where the image was taken and a description of what was captured in relation to the theme. The winners were also announced during the culmination program: 1st Place – PECIT; 2nd Place – Surigao Del Sur State University Tagbina (SDSSU Tagbina); and tied for 3rd Place – SDSSU Tagbina and Don Jose Ecleo Memorial Foundation College of Science and Technology (DJEMFCST).

The Cake Decorating contest required participants to submit a video with footage of the cake decorating process, the techniques highlighted, and the inspiration behind the design. The winners of this contest were as follows: tied for 1st Place – PECIT and ADSCO; 2nd Place – SDSSU Tagbina.

The final contest, Mr. and Ms. ASEAN, showcased the ASEAN-themed and pandemic-themed attire worn by the male and female representatives of participating HEIs, as well as their eloquence in discussing the pertinent issue of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like all contests aforementioned, the winners of this were announced during the culmination program: 1st Place – DJEMFCST; 2nd Place – SDSSU Tagbina; 3rd Place – ADSCO.

The month-long activities for the 54th ASEAN Founding Anniversary ran from August 9 to 27, 2021. See the recorded virtual events at our official website, www.chedcaraga.ph, or at our official Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/CHEDCaragaPH.