| Native Name: | National Quiz Bee |
| Camera: | Multiple-camera setup |
| Runtime: | 1 hour (including commercials) |
| Creator: | Quiz Bee Foundation |
| Developer: | Rasty Tayag |
| Presenter: | Rowena Zulueta, Eddie Lacsi, Bingbing Josue, Pettizou Tayag, Atom Araullo, Lea Salonga, Anthony Suntay, Spanky Enriquez, Danny Fajardo |
| Country: | Philippines |
| Language: | English Filipino |
| Network: | IBC (1996–2001) Studio 23 (2005–2013) |
| Num Episodes: | 210 |
The National Quiz Bee is the longest-running national academic quiz competition in the Philippines.[1] Starting out as a national spelling bee in 1977, the National Quiz Bee awarded champions in mathematics, science, general information, current events, and Philippine history. The show aired on IBC from 1996 to 2001 and Studio 23 from 2005 to 2013, hosted by Eddie Lacsi, Bingbing Josue, Pettizou Tayag, Atom Araullo, Spanky Enriquez, and Danny Fajardo.
The National Quiz Bee was organized by the Quiz Bee Foundation. The program received support from the private sector, which mostly provided for the prizes and TV coverage. The National Quiz Bee was also endorsed and assisted by various agencies of the Philippine government, including the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Senate of the Philippines, and the Office of the President.
Since 1977, the Quiz Bee has been an annual event. In this year, Rasty Tayag, the developer, registered the term "quiz bee" as a copyright and trademark with the Philippine Patent Office.
For this competition, the category of Philippine history and culture was expanded to include ASEAN history and culture.
In 1993, in consonance with the Philippines 2000 program of President Fidel V. Ramos, the competition now included high school and college students, and the name was changed to the National Super Quiz Bee.
| Educational Level | Grade Level | Approximate Age of Competitor (years) | Category/ies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | 1-7 | 10-13 | Makabayan (Phil. History, Culture and Values) | |
| Elementary | 1-4 | 10-13 | Mathematics | |
| Secondary | 1-4 (1-5 since 32nd Bee?) | 14-17 | Science and Technology (Science, Technology and Nutrition since 32nd Bee?) | |
| Tertiary | 1-5 | 18-22 | General Information and International Affairs |
Summit of the Super Quiz Bee was a multi-day camp (usually 4 days) composed with tours, seminars, and fellowships for regional champions and respective teacher-coaches competing in the National Finals.[6]
The National Finals competition was the highlight of the summit, wherein the various contestants and their teacher-coaches dressed in traditional regional attire during the stage competition. The National Finals was open to the public.[7]
In addition to the annual National Quiz Bee, the Quiz Bee has also organized ASEAN and World Quiz Bees. National Champions of the immediately previous National Quiz Bee represent the country against competitors from ASEAN-member countries and worldwide, respectively.
There has also been a Quiz Bee for the Handicapped.[8]
Throughout its existence, the National Quiz Bee has been hosted by numerous people, including the following. It is common for them to share a single episode, with one acting as quizmaster, while the other recap scores and make other announcements:
| width=45% | Name Of Host | width=30% | Role | width=25% | Years Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Suntay[9] | Quizmaster | ?-2002-? | |||
For non-NCR regions, Division and Regional Eliminations are usually in schools and DepEd offices within their region.
NCR District, Division, and Regional Eliminations are usually held in major shopping malls around Metro Manila and are televised.[10]
The National Finals and the Summit of the Super Quiz Bees have been held at the following locations:
| Season Number | Dates Covered | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz Bee for the Handicapped | 1988 | Philamlife Auditorium, Manila[11] | |
| 30 | 2010-2011 | Development Academy of the Philippines, Tagaytay, Cavite[12] | |
| 31 | 2011-2012 | Development Academy of the Philippines, Tagaytay, Cavite[13] |
Prizes for Regional Champions have been given at some point,[14] although this is not consistent every year.