Debate is a staple feature in the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) to the extent that there is a particular English class that a student is required to take up in the course of his study dedicated to public speaking and debating alone. This is why it is of no surprise that the Ateneo Debate Union (ADU), consecutive most outstanding organization of the university and home to noted Atenean public speakers, debaters and adjudicators, has garnered recognition in two renowned regional debate competitions that took place recently.
6th VMDC
The 6th Visayas Mindanao Debate Championship was held on July 26 to 30 at Cebu City and hosted by Cebu Normal University. Here, Ateneo showed that its skills were not limited alone to debating but adjudicating as well as Adrian Uro, Public Speaking and Debate course instructor, won as the Tournament’s Best Adjudicator and served as a grand finals adjudicator. Judean Grace Galvez, BS Accountancy student, also joined the ranks as she was hailed tournament’s 8th Best Adjudicator.
It has to be noted that Uro, one of the young additions to the School of Liberal Arts faculty last school year, is a distinguished alumnus of ADU. During his undergraduate years, he was well known as one of the best debaters in Mindanao. This feat is but another notch in his numerous accolades in the world of debating.
AdZU teams also displayed their fighting spirit as all teams were able to break as part of the top half of the competition. AdZU A, composing of Glenn Alcala and Ruby Calletor, and AdZU B, composing of Kim Señerez and Pjey Fidel, were able to proceed to the quarter-finals. AdZU C, composing of Khalid Lozano and Milarose Barraca, was able to land a place in the octo-finals as well.
26th MPDC
The 26th Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Championships became the stage for a number of great performances coming from the AdZU delegates. The tournament was held on August 31 to September 2 at Davao City and hosted by Ateneo de Davao University.
Given AdZU’s usual competency, everyone broke and qualified to be part of the teams who were considered to be on the upper half bracket of the competition. AdZU A, composing of Earl Toribio and Glenn Alcala, and AdZU B, composing of Angelica Camins and Khalid Lozano, were able to reach the semi-finals. AdZU C, composing of Ruby Calletor and Kim Señerez, and AdZU D, composing of Milarose Barraca and Salman Abdulsabur, were quarter-finalists of the competition.
In addition to that, Calletor and Barraca garnered spots in the Top 10 Best Speakers of the tourney, both of them tying for the 6th place. Also, Adrian Uro who was the Best Adjudicator of the 6th VMDC was one of the Deputy Chief Adjudicators that comprised the Adjudication Core of the tournament after being elected by the participating institutions in Mindanao.
Words by Sarah Gail Galvan; Photos by Angelica Camins, S.j. So, Brian Dan Congson of Ateneo Photographers’ Society, and SAMAHAN Creative Team
