By: Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Translation: Metro News Mx
- Celaya hosts the TecNM's 10th regional War Bands meeting; 28 institutes and nearly 1,000 young people gather.
- Tijuana, the farthest contingent, crossed the country and traveled 18 hours to compete, showing commitment and pride.
- The civic event promotes values, discipline, and institutional pride, beyond military-style competition.
- The change of venue, from Morelia to Celaya, was organized in just one week, highlighting local teamwork.
- The inaugural declaration took place at 6:32 PM on November 21, 2025, in the civic plaza.
- On Sunday, there will be a grand parade through Celaya, starting from the Alameda, with all participating War Bands.
- The Eliseo Bandala Elementary School, with its children's War Band, surprised the presidium and inspired the university students.
- The Tec Celaya director called for a "peaceful revolution" based on science, unity, and love for Mexico.
- State authorities emphasized the value of human skills in the face of advancing artificial intelligence.
- The host band, proudly "Lince," represents a nearly 70-year tradition of the Technological Institute of Celaya.
Celaya vibrates in unison with the young nation; TecNM calls for discipline and future on a memorable day
The civic plaza of the National Technological Institute of Mexico (TecNM) in Celaya, proudly "Lince," became the epicenter of youthful gallantry and comprehensive education by hosting the 10th Regional Meeting of Escorts and War Bands of the Central Region, a firm step toward the 31st National Meeting 2026. In a "very youthful" and "truly civic" atmosphere, the esplanade—the institution's oldest campus—was filled with the presence of 28 technological institutes, bringing together nearly a thousand students, coaches, and drivers, in an event that was described as a "day of celebration" for the system.
The inauguration, originally scheduled for 5:30 PM, was slightly extended due to final coordination adjustments, culminating with the official declaration at 6:32 PM on November 21, 2025. The number of participating institutions, initially estimated at 27, rose to 28 with the last-minute addition of the Technological Institute of Aguascalientes, a detail that underscores the national reach of the competition.
The nation's deployment in a single civic plaza
The Technological Institute of Celaya proved to be the perfect host by welcoming delegations from diverse and distant points across Mexican geography. Among the contingents formed in the plaza, one could see the colors and shields of institutions such as Toluca (State of Mexico), Culiacán and Mazatlán (Sinaloa), Querétaro, Colima, Pachuca (Hidalgo), Santiago Papasquiaro (Durango), Ocotlán and Ciudad Guzmán (Jalisco), Apizaco (Tlaxcala), in addition to a strong presence from Michoacán with campuses from Los Reyes, Zamora, Apatzingán, Lázaro Cárdenas, Jiquilpan, Morelia, Ciudad Hidalgo, and Pátzcuaro.
The special mention of the evening went to the delegation from the Technological Institute of Tijuana, which "crossed the entire territory" and endured "18 hours of travel to join us today," an effort that the Director of Tec Celaya, Engineer Ernesto Lugo Ledesma, highlighted as a sign of commitment and pride in values.
The 28 participating technological institutes seeking a spot in the national meeting are: IT Aguascalientes, IT Apizaco, IT Ciudad Guzmán, IT Colima, IT Culiacán, IT Huejutla, IT Jiquilpan, IT Lázaro Cárdenas, IT Mazatlán, IT Ocotlán, IT Pachuca, IT Puebla, IT Querétaro, IT Roque, IT Tijuana, IT Tlajomulco, IT Toluca, IT Zitácuaro, ITS Apatzingán, ITS Cd. Hidalgo, ITS Huichapan, ITS Irapuato, ITS Los Reyes, ITS Pátzcuaro, ITS Santiago Papasquiaro, ITS Zamora, IT Morelia, and IT Celaya.
The TecNM Escort in Celaya, with nearly 70 years of tradition, presented itself as the host, demonstrating with its presence national recognition, alongside the Escort from the Technological Institute of Roque, also in Guanajuato. Precisely, the coordinator of the War Band and Escort from Roque, Licenciado Cervantes, confirmed the feeling of brotherhood and belonging: "we also feel like the venue, like home. Of course, we are all the... next 100 years!" referring to the centenary that the Roque institution will celebrate next year.
From martial unison to children's tenderness
One of the most emotional moments that added color to the inaugural ceremony was the special participation of the War Band from the Profesor Eliseo Bandala Elementary School, a campus located in the Valle Hermoso neighborhood, across from the Technological Institute.
Greeted with "great emotion," these boys and girls, considered the "seed" and the "living reminder that every great achievement begins with a first step," performed the moving piece Caminos de Guanajuato by José Alfredo Jiménez. The presentation was described as a moment that "fills us with hope and reminds us why we are here: to inspire, to educate, and to build a better Mexico."
The unison of the War Bands' drums paying honors to the National Flag (Lábaro Patrio), followed by the rendition of the Mexican National Anthem, was an act that "gives you goosebumps" (pone la piel chinita), in the words of Engineer Lugo Ledesma.
Leadership and civic commitment in the presidium
The presidium brought together prominent figures from the three levels of government and the TecNM system, underscoring the event's importance. Those present included: Adelmo Emanuel Israel Reyes Pablo (Undersecretary of Higher and Upper Secondary Education of Guanajuato, representing Governor Livia Dení García Muñoz Ledo), Carlos Ricardo Olvera Álvarez (Secretary of Tourism of Celaya, representing the Municipal President), Cecilia Salas del Campo (Head of Civic Commitment and Social Responsibility for TecNM), and the directors of sister institutions René Raúl Robles Lacayo (Tecnológico de Roque), Mateo López Valdovinos (Tecnológico de Ocotlán), and Jaime Patiño Robles (Crode Celaya).
Representing the Technological Institute of Celaya were the pillars of the organization: the host director, Ernesto Lugo Ledesma; Nayeli del Carmen Ramírez Segovia (Deputy Director of Planning and Linkage, praised for her "attitude" and "interest" in moving the event forward after the change of venue); Teodoro Villalobos Salinas (Deputy Director of Administrative Services, who ensured that the administrative commitment is to "establish all the conditions for them to be well here"); and Julián Ferrer Guerra (Academic Deputy Director, recently appointed).
Human skills and the peaceful revolution
The authorities' messages focused on the importance of comprehensive education and civic values in the modern era.
Engineer Ernesto Lugo Ledesma, in his welcome speech, contextualized the event with the anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, a decisive process that had Celaya as a key point. However, he called on the youth to engage in a new type of struggle: "Today we live in a different time, a time that invites us to a peaceful revolution, a revolution of consciousness that is born from knowledge, science, and love for our country." Addressing the competitors, he reminded them of their role as guardians of identity: "You protect and disseminate civic values. You keep the love for the flag and our national symbols alive."
Maestra Cecilia Salas del Campo, in her address, thanked Celaya for the effort to organize the event in just one week after the original venue had to be changed from Morelia. She emphasized the need for complementary activities: "I firmly believe that in these times, activities are still required where students are developing other skills and are participating in becoming more responsible citizens."
Finally, Aldelmo Emanuel Israel Reyes Pablo, Undersecretary of Guanajuato, addressed the speed of technological change, mentioning the impact of ChatGPT in just two years and the challenge of becoming "permanent learners." His central point was the revaluation of human capabilities: "What will continue to give us value as university students are human skills, because artificial intelligence will allow us to reach knowledge very quickly, but it is the knowledge that will not be easily supplanted by human skills." He stressed that the discipline, commitment, and character that students acquire in the War Bands and escorts are those irreplaceable values.
The future is now
With the official declaration inaugurated, the master of ceremonies urged participants to take away "the certainty that they are part of something greater, of a community that does not surrender." The competition event will extend until Sunday, when a "grand parade through the city streets" will take place at 9:00 AM, starting from the Alameda. The route, featuring all the War Bands from the 28 technological institutes, will pass through Aguilar y Maya, Obregón, 20 de Noviembre, and Insurgentes, to culminate back at the Technological Institute of Celaya. A close that promises to be as imposing as the inauguration and that will cement the identity, rhythm, and heart of the youth of the National Technological Institute of Mexico. \#MetroNewsMx \#GuanajuatoDesconocido
