The Silliman University High School Debate Team A, composed of Jude Martin Amiscaray and Claudia Ysabel Macias, broke into the octo-finals at the recently concluded Philippine Schools Debate Championship 2012 held at the Ateneo de Manila campus in Quezon City.
Speakers from teams who have broken in the tournament are considered eligible to try out for a slot in the Philippine team to the World Schools Debating Championships.
The Philippine Schools Debate Championship is an annual English-language debate tournament for high school-level teams from the Philippines. It is hosted by Ateneo de Manila University’s Ateneo Debate Society and its debates are conducted in the British Parliamentary Style. This year, the tournament hosted 160 teams from 39 schools all over the Philippines. The final rounds were taken up by the top 32 teams who garnered at least 13 pts during the first seven rounds. Teams who reach this point are said to “break” into the final championship rounds.
From its inception in 2002, PSDC has become one of the two most prestigious Philippine national competitions for high school debaters, the other being the National Asians High School Debate Championship hosted by De La Salle University-Manila’s La Salle Debate Society The championship hosted 160 teams from 39 schools all over the Philippines.
The entire SUHS delegation sent to Manila were composed of Crystal Llante, Team Adviser; Anna Katrina Espino, trainer and part of top 10 adjudicators in the Philippines, Noel Jon Valente, trainer; and five teams consisting of:
Team A – Jude Martin Amiscaray and Claudia Macias, Octofinalists (#29) Team B – Patrich Limpiado Lozano and Giancarlo Sanglay, Team C – Mykaela Maxino and Pol Catapusan Caluscusan, Team D – Cheska Dy Saavedra and Katrina Alexandra Rosalem Renacia, Team E – Neil Gumalo and Azel Amada
The following motions were debated on during the rounds:
R1 This House Believes That provocative and radical tactics do more harm than good to movements that use them.
R2 TH would allow individuals of legal age to subject themselves to hazing. R3 TH would require a license for parenting. R4 TH would exempt indigenous people from environmental laws. R5 TH would offer Bashar Al — Assad immunity in exchange for stepping down from power.
R6 TH would exempt indigenous people from laws pertaining to environmental protection. R7 THBT electoral campaigns should be funded entirely and exclusively by the state.
Although not as popular as athletics, debate is another activity which can help children, even the younger ones, learn to be part of a team but which places less emphasis on competition and which is, in addition, less gender specific than athletics.
Debate enhances critical thinking and reasoning abilities; facilitates academic advancement or development; and promotes good communication skills. The confidence and the ability to present one’s self and ideas in the clearest and brightest light are attributes that last a lifetime. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair says. “In a society where it seems to me democracy is being chipped away at, people’s ability to express their beliefs is crucial.”
