Project Journey 4.0

HAPPENING NOW I Forty-eight teachers from the 14 implementing schools of the Special Program in Journalism (SPJ) convened at Piazza Zicarelli Hotel and Restaurant, Gamu, Isabela for the two-day Orientation on the Implementation of the New SPJ Curriculum, aimed at strengthening the program’s delivery and ensuring the effective implementation of the revised curriculum.

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𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐳 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐂𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐀𝐀 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝

𝘉𝘺 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘈𝘨𝘨𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘺𝘢𝘣

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Green Hawks team captain Nicole Rodriguez put up 19 markers, including the last four points in the second set, to anchor Region 02 to a historic championship in volleyball girls elementary against the Davao Region, 25-18, 25-19, at the Palarong Pambansa 2026 in Agusan del Sur earlier today, May 30.

A year after falling to Central Luzon in the gold medal match, CAVRAA returned to the championship stage and completed its redemption run, advancing to the final after sweeping Western Visayas, 25-20, 25-14, in the semifinals as Nicole drew ample support from her twin sister Nathalie Rodriguez throughout the tournament.

Nicole also delivered seven service aces, including five in the second set, while Nathalie provided crucial firepower in both sets with 10 points as Region 02 leaned on the twins' offensive maneuvers and calculated attacks to secure the breakthrough championship for the northern delegation.

Davao drew first blood to open the match but the CAVRAA reps, predominantly from Aurora Central School in the province of Isabela, wasted no time answering as team captain Nicole put her side on the board with 5 points, while Nathalie chipped in three markers to help establish the Green Hawks' early control.

CAVRAA quickly seized control of the first set by stringing together a stretch of plays fueled by Nicole's back-to-back service aces and contributions from Nathalie and Elysha Marie Soriano to build a commanding 12-4 cushion.

Davao, however, refused to fold quietly as Shydee Faith Fuentes and Christine Joy Falonite powered a Region 11 surge with consecutive blocks and much needed kills to complete a 5-0 run, 14-16, forcing CAVRAA to burn an early timeout.

The breather did little to cool Region 02's fire as frontrunner Nicole stepped up immediately after the timeout to stop the bleeding, with Carlie Mae Rodriguez and Scarleth Jean Molina giving enough reinforcements to push the lead back to a comfortable margin, 21-15.

DAVRAA tried to stabilize with a timeout but couldn't slow the tide either, as Nathalie, along with her twin sister and team captain Nicole orchestrated a 4-0 burst before putting up a beautiful save to set up the latter for a toss to Soriano to hammer home the finishing blow, 25-18.

The Green Hawks came out of the gates even hotter in the second set by rattling off an early 4-0 run, capped by a service ace from Nathalie to threaten a rout, but Davao found its footing through Falonite and Eurica Irist Rieta, who delivered three straight service aces with the latter adding one more to hand Davao its first lead of the match, 5-4.

Isabela steadied the ship after pushing the gap to two with a service error, as Nicole halted the momentum immediately, 6-5.

Soriano scored a service ace to level playing the field, but Davao's Fuentes found the corner on a sharp spike to reclaim the edge, and back-to-back service aces from Falonite threatened to blow the set wide open, 9-6.

CAVRAA dug deep into its pockets through the Rodriguez twins' efforts to halt the run, with the team captain firing another ace to secure a 10-11 output before punching another kill for a deadlock at 11-all.

Nicole led the Hawks' counterattack by firing a service ace to give the lead back to CAVRAA following a crucial 4-0 run that had their rivals scrambling for another timeout.

DAVRAA clawed back to tie the match, 13-13, but a gritty long rally ended with Nathalie's spike, then a service ace from her twin Nicole, giving CAVRAA a two-point lead, 15-13 .

Davao's Sittie Zhairah Amer and Rhean Etick kept the pressure on with needed markers to tie the cudgel at 15 apiece, but the Green Hawks refused to stop by putting another ace, and a marathon rally that ended with a block that pushed the lead to 2, 18-16.

Soriano put up two consecutive aces that had DAVRAA calling for a timeout, but it was all too late as the finals best player Nicole took over after the call, scoring her team's last four markers, including the game-winning service ace to end the match once and for all, 25-19, ending CAVRAA's year-long title pursuit.

CAVRAA finished with 18 service aces in the match, including seven in the first set and 11 in the second, while DAVRAA managed seven overall.

The triumph completed a long-awaited return to the top for Region 02 after last year's runner-up finish and sealed the girls elementary volleyball crown for the Green Hawks.