Washington, DC -The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the United States? largest and longest-running educational program administered as a non-profit program by The E.W. Scripps Company and 280 sponsors in the U.S., Canada, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, New Zealand, South Korea and Ghana.

Numerous Filipino-American students have competed in previous National Bees, with Joseph Henares of Avon, CT, garnering the highest rank thus far, finishing in the top five of last year?s Bee, co-sharing 3rd place with two other youths.

This year, 18 children of Filipino descent are competing for the title of Spelling Bee Champion, the largest number in recent memory, comprising over 6% of the top 288 spellers from the sponsors? districts.

Two of the children are repeating previous attempts at the Bee --- Raymond Avery Soriano of Laredo, TX, and Anna Beatrice Garcia Grimaldo of Orofino, ID. Although this is Corinne A. Yap?s first time at the Nationals, the brother of this native of Sedalia, MO has competed before.

Spellers Maria Isabel Yirebatiya Kubabom of Accra, Ghana, and Angela Faith Mamaril of Saipan, Northern Marianas, have traveled farthest to get to the Washington, DC, venue while Allyn Mendoza Pasiliao of New York City, NY, even had time to attend an important school activity in between Bee Week activities.

Austin Soriano Pineda of Romoland, Mylieneth Mymy Guiang of Salinas, and Peter Jared Caballes of Visalia are the representatives from California. Spellers from Florida are Nicolas Saldajeno de Leon of Orange Park and Vincent Medina of Coral Springs. Andrea Mae G. Mirasol of Vernon is Texas? other representative while Missouri?s other speller is David Rudie Bippes of Anutt.

Sole Filipino spellers from their states include Serene R. Macaraig of Fort Wayne, IN, Joshua Derek Mack Ursua of Shreveport, LA, Michelle-Ann R. Tan of Jersey City, NJ, Anna Cusi de la Merced of Cincinnati, OH, and Marie Jancie Mach of Triangle, VA.

Five of the spellers will be in Friday?s semifinals broadcasted live on ESPN (11AM to 2PM ET). They are Nicolas de Leon, Vincent Medina, Anna dela Merced, Austin Pineda, and Corinne Yap. The finals will be primetime live on ABC Friday evening (8 to 10PM ET). Up-to-the minute updates can be found in www.spellingbee.com.