They never expected a headline to be their cue to dream bigger.
When news outlets across the UAE and beyond splashed the names Warren and Rei Martus Bacongallo after the recent Scripps Spelling Bee UAE, the 12-year-old and his 10-year-old brother didn’t just see their faces on screens — they saw proof that a childhood aspiration could be real.
Warren’s dream wasn’t born here in the UAE, or in the echo of applause. It began years earlier, on a quiet tablet screen in the Philippines, watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee on YouTube and imagining himself in the spotlight.
“Those days, I imagined myself standing on that stage spelling words I made up. Sometimes, I wanted to feel that thrill of winning that contest,” he shares with TGFM.
Now he’s living that possibility — not just as a champion at the 2nd edition of the Scripps Spelling Bee UAE, but as the UAE’s representative heading to the finals in Washington, DC. Facing stiff competition — 850 students from 145 schools and more than 40 nationalities — Warren proved he belonged.
Standing at the mic
Being on stage brings a rush, he says, but also a tangle of emotions. When he stands at the microphone, Warren describes his thoughts in two parts: anxiety — “What am I gonna get? Is it hard? Easy?” — and excitement. “When it was just me and the runner up,” he says, “I would just feel super excited, especially when I have a chance to win.”
That emotional terrain was not new to him. Training wasn’t only meticulous — it was exhausting at times. “In training, you really have to work hard to achieve what you want,” he says. “My brother and I, we practiced all the time, and sometimes it would be tiring. So a little something, you always have to take a break.”
Outside of drills and word lists, he’s a kid who enjoys playing badminton and hanging out with friends.
Brotherhood and drills
Right beside him through it all was his younger brother, Rei Martus, whose own journey made headlines as second runner-up in the same competition. The brothers worked together at home, studying flashcards, quizzing each other, doing pronunciation drills, and sharpening each other’s focus.
“I felt excited and happy when I was with my big brother because we have our company on the stage together,” Rei says.
He attributes his strength to two things: memory and thinking. “I can remember the words I was told,” he says simply. His study style? “Repetitive. Or DRILL and drill until words are mastered.”
He learned an important lesson from the experience: the fun of competing can outweigh the pressure of it. “I learned to enjoy and have fun because it makes me feel just fine, not being pressured by the competition.”
Yet there’s still a spark of rivalry. When asked who wins most of their at-home challenges, he laughs: “Commonly yes. It would be my brother who always wins.”
Preparing for bigger challenges
Their mother, Jenelyn, a former teacher in the Philippines, leads their homeschooling under the American curriculum. Mornings are for online lessons, afternoons for play and practical life skills — like budgeting at the grocery store, where learning mixes with real-world logic.
Winning the UAE bee was a milestone — and one that brought them headlines and attention. But the work hasn’t slowed. For Warren, international preparation means studying beyond the official list, learning Greek and Latin roots, and mastering patterns that could tip the balance in Washington.
For Rei, next year’s competition is already in his sights. “To win and follow my brother so I can feel what he felt,” he says.
And just like the articles that once seemed unreal, the world stage is no longer just a screen they watch — it’s the one they’re training to step onto.
