‘Not expecting much,’ CatSU’s Moises Apanti still bags silver in national quiz bee
CollegesHe packed humility, boarded a bus, and left Catanduanes with nothing but grit and a dream. Moises T. Apanti, a BSEd Social Studies student from Catanduanes State University, did not expect to place. He barely had time to prep. Still, he came home with a silver medal from the 2nd National Teachers Education Quiz Bee (NTEQ) held in Manila, May 15–16. The contest, hosted by the Carl E. Balita Review Center (CBRC), wasn’t your average quiz bee. It tested not just brainpower but tech skills and teaching grit. Scores were based on two rounds: a Quiz Bee proper (70%) and a Skill Showdown (30%) that mixed pedagogy with AI and tech know-how. Winners weren’t just smart—they had to be agile, adaptive, and future-ready. To top it off, CBRC required each contestant to build a “Helpline”—a core team of faculty and classmates who served as academic and technical lifelines throughout the competition. Before reaching the nationals, Apanti ranked 2nd in CatSU and bagged 1st place in the provincial leg. In Manila, the stakes rose—but so did his spirit. Backed by his coach, Prof. Amy T. Moraña, Mr. Mark J. Bonifacio, and a squad of senior BSEd students in Social Studies, Science, and Math, Apanti battled through brain-breaking rounds and held his own. His medal wasn’t just for him—it was for the island. He also thanked the CBRC Catanduanes team, led by Ms. Gladelyn Talan, for keeping him grounded, focused, and fueled. Apanti didn’t just win hardware. He and other participants also joined a six-hour RAISE Education Conference—a deep dive into Robotics, AI, and Smart Ed. The talks tackled how teachers can survive—and thrive—in the age of the 5th Industrial Revolution. Now back in Catanduanes, Apanti sets his sights on his next mountain: the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) this September. He draws strength from those who climbed before him, especially Kharlos Miguel Bautista, a fellow CatSU grad who landed 8th place in the 2024 LEPT.
