In the recently concluded First National Championship of the Battle of the Nightingales (BOTN), Cor Jesu College once again proved to be at the top by securing 3rd place. Since the inauguration of this regional quiz bee in 2022, Cor Jesu College has defended the championship trophy two times in a row. In 2022, the school sent its representatives to the Mindanao-Wide BOTN, finishing in third place. This year, Cor Jesu College surpassed 11 other nursing schools in Region XI, rightfully earning the opportunity to represent Region XI at the National Level, where they competed against 11 other regional champions. The representatives were all fourth-year student nurses: Antonette Marie F. Alejandro, Jessely Trisha U. Lape, and Krizzabel Corinth N. Cadayona. Their coach, who mentored all the BOTN champions produced by Cor Jesu College, is a CHS faculty member, Jeezreel M. Orquina, RN, LPT
Below is the list of the regional winners of the National Quiz Bee:
CAR (Baguio) – University of the Cordilleras
NCR (Makati City) – Centro Escolar University
NCR (Quezon City) – Our Lady of Fatima Lagro
Region 3 – PHINMA Araullo University
Region 4A (Laguna Province) – San Pablo Colleges
Region 4A (Rizal Province) – Sienna College of Taytay
Region 6 – Colegio San Agustin Bacolod
Region 7 – Silliman University
Region 9 – Mindanao State University (Sulu)
Region 10 – Capitol University
Region 11 – Cor Jesu College
Region 12 – Sultan Kudarat State University
There were two rounds in the competition: The Preliminary Round and the Final Round. In the Preliminary Round, there were three phases: The Easy Round (10 questions, 1 point for each question), the Moderate Round (10 questions, 3 points for each question), and the Difficult Round (5 questions worth 5 points each), totaling 65 points. Only the top 5 schools with the highest scores would advance to the Final Round.
During the Preliminary Round, Cor Jesu College dominated the scoreboard with 58 points, followed by Sultan Kudarat State University (Region XII) with 49 points. Our Lady of Fatima University (NCR – Quezon City) secured 46 points, and at the fourth spot, both PHINMA Araullo University (Region III) and Centro Escolar University (NCR – Makati) earned 44 points, rounding out the list for the Final Round.
Scores were reset to zero in the Final Round. This time, the competition intensified with more challenging questions. Before moving on to the Difficult Phase, the host recapped the scores from the Easy and Moderate Phases. Cor Jesu College and Our Lady of Fatima University both had 30 points, leading the competition. Sultan Kudarat State University followed with 27 points, and Centro Escolar University had 25 points. Araullo University finished with 21 points.
As the competition neared its end, Our Lady of Fatima University secured the Championship Award with 42 points. Cor Jesu College and Sultan Kudarat State University tied for the next spot with 39 points each. To determine second and third places, a Sudden Death Round was held. After nine questions, Sultan Kudarat State University claimed the second spot, leaving Cor Jesu College in third place.
Despite the odds, Cor Jesu College remains the school to beat in Region XI and is emerging as a significant presence in the entire Philippines. In just two years, Cor Jesu College has made a significant impact on the nursing community, leaving people in awe and astonishment.
Cor Jesu College students received 25,000 pesos in cash, while their coach received 5,000 pesos.”
