Grade 7 sections from PAGCOR and the Green Building—including Archimedes, Copernicus, Galileo, Abelardo, Tolentino, Newsvine, and Magsaysay—won the yell competition and the Talentadong Pamilya contest during the Family Day celebration, January 25. (Photo: RTP/PIA-10)
MindanaoToday.com | MOGCHS G7 welcomes back family day after 5-year hiatus
By: Recthie T. Paculba
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Fortifying home-school connections, fostering unity, and enhancing the holistic development of all participants, over 2,000 Grade 7 students and their parents from Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGCHS) gathered, January 25, for the Family Day celebration after a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Held at the school’s covered court, the event revolved around the theme, “Digital Detox: Strengthening Family Bonds.”
Councilor Suzette Magtajas-Daba highlighted the crucial role of collaboration between parents and schools in nurturing students. “Naa’y mga estudyante nga kinahanglan nato tabangan, kinahanglan tutukan sa eskwelahan, ug kinahanglan tabangan sa mga ginikanan. It takes a village to educate a child. Dili pwede pasagdan ang eskwelahan, dili sad pwede pasagdan ang mga ginikanan. Busa dako ang akong kalipay nga daghan ginikanan nga nag-anhi diri karon para sa family day,” she said.
(There are students who need our help, who need the focus of the school, and the assistance of parents. It takes a village to educate a child. We cannot neglect the school, and we cannot neglect the parents. That is why I am very happy to see so many parents here today for Family Day.)
She also shared that the city government is currently supporting 15,000 scholars with monthly allowances ranging from P1,000 to P3,500, depending on their area of residence and school enrollment.
Elaborating on the event’s theme, Faith Quinal-Colarte, guidance counselor at the City College of Cagayan de Oro, emphasized that simply being present as parents is not enough to make children feel valued.
“We’ve talked about the negative impacts of excessive screen time. But simply reducing screen time isn’t enough. It’s not just about how much time your children spend on screens, but about the quality of time you spend together as a family. It’s about actively building connections, fostering meaningful interactions, and creating lasting memories,” Colarte said.
She urged parents to adopt practical strategies for fostering holistic child development, such as establishing technology-free zones, imposing digital curfews, creating family technology contracts, modeling healthy behavior, and promoting mindful technology use. Colarte also acknowledged the challenges parents face, such as balancing work and family responsibilities and building resilience in the family unit.
Supporting the event, MOGCHS Principal Dr. Melende Catid encouraged parents to attend school activities like Family Day, underscoring the importance of teaching children values alongside academic excellence.
“It is important that you join an activity like this because it will bring you closer to your children. In school, it is different because you will be joining the activity together with your children. And that’s a very good family bonding. Children should value their parents, and that respect is the very prime of all the values that we are going to inculcate to our learners,” she said.
The event featured games, talent shows, raffles, and a yell competition that brought enjoyment to participants. Grade 7 sections from PAGCOR and the Green Building—including Archimedes, Copernicus, Galileo, Abelardo, Tolentino, Newsvine, and Magsaysay—won the yell competition and the Talentadong Pamilya contest.
Dwayne Bodiongan, a Grade 7 student, expressed his joy in participating. “I am happy because I celebrated it with my father, mother, sister, and my classmates. The yell is an amazing experience. I played the drums. Thank you, my science class family,” he said. His mother, Dolly Bodiongon, also praised the event for fostering family closeness. “Giving them our valuable time and showing them our support. Our precious quality time is the best that we could give to them and filling their memory banks with love,” she added.
Another parent, Mary Naguita, reflected on the bonding experience during the yell competition. “It makes the family bonding stronger; naa’y participation sa mga parents, maka-say sad ang mga kids na active sad diay ang mga mama though it was the first and final practice,” she said.
(It makes family bonding stronger, with parents participating, and the kids see that the mothers are also active, even though it was just the first and final practice.)
The General Parent-Teacher Association, under the leadership of GPTA President Archt. John Tan, spearheaded the Family Day event through partnerships with various sponsors. Tan emphasized that the event was a vital step in reconnecting families and schools, promoting unity and collaboration for students’ holistic growth. (RTP/PIA-10)
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