AFTER THEIR last victory in 2008, the Ateneo Debate Society (ADS) made it back to the top in the recently concluded 15th National Debate Championship held last October 24 to 31 in the University of Nueva Caceres, Naga, Camarines Sur.
The members of the ADS team were the following: ADS President Dwight Tan, Mike Agoncillo, Miko Alazas, Alyssa Alfonso, Andrei Buendia, Allan Cabrera, JB Capucao, Azi dela Paz, Renzo Escalona, Donald Felbaum, Nico Flaminiano, Nick Fortuna, Andrea Guevarra, Abbo Hernandez, Bart Keswani, Denise Recomono, Frances Robles, Inah Robles, Ilkka Russo, Matt San Pedro, Paolo Tabuena, Marianne Vitug, Kendra Wahono and Rafael Zagala.
Cabrera and Inah Robles were the grand champions of the debate. The two also received individual awards: Cabrera was the Overall Best Speaker while Robles won as fifth Best Speaker.
Five more members of the 24-member team received recognition. Tan, who was hailed Best Speaker of the Masters’ Cup Final, was one of the two Masters’ Cup Champions together with Hernandez. Dela Paz was the Best Speaker of the Final, and Fortuna and Agoncillo tied as seventh Best Speakers.
The annual National Debate Championship follows the British Parliamentary Debate format.
The said format requires two teams set to debate over a specific topic. Both teams are composed of four members each.
Before a team can advance to the Grand Final Round, they have to make it through seven rounds in the preliminary level and four rounds in the elimination stage.
Ateneo teams A, E and F, and the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños team A were the four competing teams in the Grand Final Round.
The ADS team also had to compete against representatives from De La Salle University, UP Diliman and UP Manila.
According to ADS President Tan, ADS is currently preparing to compete in the upcoming World Universities Debating Championship slated from December 27 to January 3, 2014 in India.
“The WUDC is a much larger tournament, and in fact no Asian team has won it yet. Nonetheless, we’re determined to do very well in this and hopefully be part of the final rounds,” he said.
Editor’s Note: Nick Fortuna and Andrea Guevarra are members of The GUIDON’s Katipunan Magazine and Training & Development staffs, respectively.
