Just as AI dominates the minds of the youth, 489 students competed to prove that vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking remain part of the learning process by joining the SM City Tarlac Super Spelling Bee 2026 Elimination Round.

According to SM City Tarlac Public Relations Manager Jam De Loyola Torio, the Super Spelling Bee 2026 Elimination Round for 489 Tarlakenyo students was held at the SM City Tarlac Event Center on 26 September 2026.

"After a series of challenging rounds, Marcus Sebastian Lobasan and Siah Bella Lacuna, both from Sto. Cristo Integrated School, emerged as champions, securing the top spots in the competition," she said.

She added that their victory earned them a place in the regional competition, which will be held on October 17, 2026, at SM City Rosales, bringing them one step closer to winning a share of more than P5 million worth of prizes.

The SM Super Spelling Bee is an educational competition organized by Your Most Loved Mall, SM Supermalls, to provide young learners with a platform to showcase their academic excellence.

Through initiatives such as the SM Super Spelling Bee, SM Supermalls continues to support educational development and encourage learners to excel both inside and outside the classroom.

Filipino students show varying levels of spelling proficiency, with many local studies pointing to challenges in both English and Filipino spelling accuracy due to digital habits, phonetic translation, and limited reading practice.

Local action research and classroom evaluations frequently categorize secondary and even tertiary students (including teacher education students) as having low or frustration-level spelling proficiency.

Studies indicate that spelling and writing competencies lag behind oral or speaking skills among Filipino secondary learners.

National and international assessments (such as PISA and PSA data) reflect broader reading and comprehension gaps, which directly affect a student's capacity to recognize orthographic errors and spell words correctly.