AdZU Debaters Conquer 8th VMDC

The Visayas-Mindanao Debate Championship (VMDC), now on its 8^th year, is the most celebrated joint competition between very talented debaters and adjudicators of Visayas and Mindanao. Being one of the most competitive debate societies in the Visayas and Mindanao circuit, the Ateneo Debate Union sent representatives to this year’s VMDC held in Brent Hospital and College Inc. Campus, Zamboanga City, from July 18 to 21, 2014.

Our representatives to this tournament were:

Debaters

Team A

Biri, Darren – BS Accountancy II

Dagoy, Andre – BS Accountancy II

Team B

Sanoria, Allen Ross – BS Accountancy II

Ponce, Debra Ann – BS Accountancy I

Team C

Calletor, Ruby Jane – BS Accountancy V

Fidel, Pjey – BS Biology IV

Team D

Recinto, Kurt Jesher – BS Accountancy II

Señerez, Kim Arnold – BS Nursing III

Team E

Camins, Dominic – BS Accountancy I

Sana-ani, Michael – BS Electronic and Computer Engineering I

Adjudicators

Agudelo, Christian Jorge – BS Accountancy I

Aburquez, Therese Marie – AB International Studies I

Alcala, Sheena Mae – BA Communication III

Delos Reyes, Christine – AB International Studies I

Talaver, Jenny Mae – AB Philosophy II

Guerrero, Gian Marco – BS Electronic and Computer Engineering II

After seven (7) elimination rounds, AdZU Team C, Team D and Team B were declared the team with the 3^rd, 9^th and 10^th highest accumulated score, respectively, thereby allowing the teams to proceed to the final series. There were 33 competing teams from more than 10 institutions. The elimination rounds saw our debaters defend or object propositions like providing welfare only in the form of basic goods and services instead of cash payments or vouchers, and regretting CHED’s decision to remove Filipino language based subjects in tertiary education.

In the final rounds, AdZU Team B reached the semifinals and Team D reached the quarterfinals. Team C reached the grand finals and bagged the championship for the Ateneo de Zamboanga.

In the grand finals the team debated against Mindanao State University IIT Team A, Xavier University Team A, and Western Mindanao State University Team A. AdZU opposed the proposition that the state should leave *nomadic people (badjao, aeta) alone.

*Nomadic Indigenous people are ethnic minorities who originally never build permanent shelters, are either sea-faring or hunting-gathering. DSWD continuous to have programs that reaches out to these communities in the form of education, livelihood, and even finding them permanent homes.

Summary of Achievements

• Team Achievements and Rankings

• – Team C (Ruby Calletor & Pjey Fidel) was awarded as the tournament’s champion and was the 3^rd ranking team in the elimination rounds
• – Team D (Kurt Recinto & Kim Señerez) reached the semifinals and was the 9^th ranking team in the eliminations
• – Team B (Debra Ponce & Allen Sanoria) reached the quarterfinals and was the 10^th ranking team in the eliminations
• – Team A (Darren Biri & Andre Dagoy) was the 19^th ranking team in the eliminations
• – Team E (Dominic Camins & Michael Sana-ani) was the 24^th ranking team in the eliminations

• Individual Speaker Awards and Distinction (top 25 out of 66 speakers)

• 3^rd Best Speaker – Ruby Calletor
• 8^th Best Speaker – Debra Ponce
• Top 12^th Speakers – Pjey Fidel and Kim Señerez
• Top 17^th Speaker – Kurt Recinto
• Top 21^st Speaker – Allen Sanoria

• Adjudicator Distinction (top 15 out of 23 adjudicators)

• – Top 12^th Adjudicator – Sheena Mae Alcala
• – Top 13^th Adjudicator – Gian Marco Guerrero