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The Official Student Publication of Don Mariano Marcos National High School

12/08/2025

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 | Photos taken during the awarding ceremonies of the 2025 School-Based Press Conference titled Raniag at the Senior High School Gymnasium today, August 12.

12/08/2025

𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 4 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔,
𝐒𝐏𝐉 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐩 '25 𝐒𝐁𝐏𝐂

Last year’s second-best performing batch in the School-Based Press Conference (SBPC) emerged as this year’s overall champion.

Despite having fewer participants, students from Grade 10-SPJ and Mulberry bagged multiple awards and clinched first place in their respective events.

Grade 9 and Grade 8 secured the second and third spots, respectively, in the overall ranking.

Meanwhile, last year’s individual highest pointers, Charles Bryan Magulod and Queenie Cassandra Berdan, successfully defended their titles with back-to-back victories.

This year’s SBPC results will serve as the basis for selecting participants for the upcoming Congressional District 1 Journalism Eliminations to be held in Aparri this November.

11/08/2025

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖 | The last day of the 2025 School-Based Press Conference happens today, August 11 at the Senior High School Conference Hall. Events today include editorial and column writing, editorial cartooning, and the final round of auditions for radio broadcasting.

08/08/2025

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖 | The 2025 School-Based Press Conference (SBPC) titled RANIAG continues today, August 8, at the Senior High School Conference Hall. Sessions yesterday were postponed due to heavy rains caused by the Low Pressure Area.

07/08/2025

#𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐊 | Classes from Kindergarten to Senior High School are suspended today, August 7, due to heavy rains caused by the Low Pressure Area (LPA), according to the declaration of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO).

06/08/2025

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖 | The 2025 School-Based Press Conference (SBPC), titled RANIAG, commenced today, Aug. 6, at the Senior High School Conference Hall. Over 100 campus journalists are vying for championships in both individual and group events, aiming to represent the school in the upcoming Congressional District 1 eliminations to be held in Aparri this November.

05/08/2025

𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐒 | Satelite registrations for new voters take place today, August 5, at Don Mariano Marcos NHS (DMMNHS), with youth voters getting ready to elect new officials ahead concerning the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections set for December 1. The conduct of the offsite registration in schools aims to widen participation of voters and to ensure efficient implementation.

04/08/2025

Heads up, campus journalists! Here is the schedule of activities for your reference. See you there!

04/08/2025

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 | 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝

In a world that demands choosing one path, he walks two—not because it’s easy, but because he refuses to live a life that isn’t his.

At an age when most teens are focused on games, relationships, and exams, 12-year-old MJ Mariñas is mastering the art of barbering while pursuing his academic goals. His story gained attention and admiration online after a social media vlogger, Liwayway Durwin, posted a video of him cutting hair in his father’s barbershop. MJ’s journey proves that even for a Grade 7 student, purpose can be sharper than any blade.

𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐄

In a cramped corner of a rented space in Centro, Gattaran, MJ cuts hair with his tired hands that should be resting. These hands ache not just from holding scissors but from the weight of his family’s expectations, his own quiet dreams, and the pressure of a world that rarely gives chances to kids like him.

With a father who is also a barber, MJ grew curious about haircutting. He saw it as a skill that could open doors—not just creatively, but financially. He began asking his father to teach him more, building confidence with every snip.

According to him, their family business earns more than 500 pesos a day. But for MJ, it isn’t just about the money. It’s about proving that he can shape his future with his own hands.

He doesn’t complain or ask for pity. He simply shows up every single day—not because he feels strong, but because he has no other choice. He’s only 12, but life has made him wiser. A boy who built a future with bare hands and a brave heart. And every day, he proves that even in the hardest places, hope can still grow.

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐑

“Kayang kaya ko naman pong isabay yung academics ko and yung sideline ko. Para lang may maitulong ako sa pamilya ko,” Mariñas said.

Despite the weight he carries, he shows up to school with a bright smile. While others struggle to handle school alone, MJ juggles assignments, clients, and family duties. He doesn’t just balance—he thrives. It’s not magic. It’s discipline, love, and a quiet fire that keeps him going, even when no one’s watching.

Aside from barbering during weekends, MJ also has a knack for singing. It’s not just a hobby—it’s a passion that lights him up. He performs at school events and small gatherings, using music as another way to express himself. MJ Mariñas is not just a student. Not just a barber. He’s a singer. A storyteller. To him, there is hope that maybe, just maybe, all this pain will mean something someday.

He cuts hair to help keep the lights on. He studies to keep his dream alive. And in the quiet moments, he wonders if it’s all worth it—if anyone will ever truly understand what it means to keep going when everything tells you to stop. But he keeps going anyway. Because MJ believes in something bigger than pain: tomorrow.

He’s not a hero in any sense to anyone. No medals, no headlines, no cape. Just a boy with a blade in one hand and a book in the other, fighting for a life that’s bigger than the one he was given. MJ is not known to many, but he shapes futures with every haircut, every song, and every page turned. While the road ahead may still be filled with challenges, he walks with confidence because he believes that everything he is building now is for something greater.

MJ’s hands speak two languages, one for learning and one for barbering, both changing his story, he once feared wouldn’t change.

03/08/2025

In a time when truth is often dimmed and silence is loud, RANIAG shines as more than just a theme—it is a call.

Drawn from the Ilokano word for light, RANIAG symbolizes the vital role of campus journalists as bearers of truth, defenders of free expression, and guides toward an informed future.

This year, student writers and broadcasters take the lead in igniting conversations, empowering unheard voices, and lighting the path for a responsible, critical, and ethical press—starting right here in our school.

The light begins with you. Let it speak. Let it shine. See you in our 2025 SBPC!

01/08/2025

𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐒 | The Don Mariano Marcos National High School inducts its new set of officers along with the celebration of the Nutrition Month, July 30. Events included in the celebration are poster and slogan making, mister chef, and nutri quiz bee.

31/07/2025

𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐒 | Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Gattaran conducts an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign today, July 31 at the Don Mariano Marcos National High School gymnasium. The campaign aims to raise awareness among young people about the dangers of disasters and promote preparedness during emergencies.

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