THE AB Debate Parliament topped its category in the fourth edition of the Debatable Open, a Philippine-based international debate tournament.
Named grand champions out of 16 teams in the novice category were Asian Studies sophomore Sean Matthew Parra and Political Science juniors Danica Jane Araoarao and Claudette Francesca Bayabay.
The debaters were given a situational topic about prosecuting an innocent man who was accused of murder. The Artlets debate team defended the affirmative.
Parra, who was also hailed best speaker in the finals, said the AB Debate Parliament’s win is a testament to its hard work and effort to revive the “dying” organization.
“The [organization] was literally dying and now we’re reclaiming this era for [AB Debate Parliament] and of course for AB. Our plan is simple, it’s to keep building this community. [It’s a] bonus that we win, the important thing is that we make our mark,” he told The Flame.
Last month, Parra and Araoarao were also recognized as grand champions at the African Novice Tournament, a global British parliamentary debating competition.
With the back-to-back championship, Bayabay said her team remains committed to representing the University in the debate scene and to keeping its legacy growing.
“This back-to-back championship isn’t what I am mostly proud of, even if it is a big achievement. It was the fact that all the hurdles, relentless training and almost-burnouts, led us to grow our parliament more,” the Political Science student said.
Araoarao said it was through collaboration that enabled her team to “survive and thrive.”
“It is a collective effort by each individual person as to why this feat has been made, it is not just by us victors alone… It is in our love, drive and passion for each other, even if not within the colors of our faculty in which we choose to welcome any debater—that we will always bring the quote, ‘We debate as one.’” she said.
A total of 21 organizations were present in the Asian parliamentary format, including institutions from Singapore and Vietnam. The Artlets debate team sent the most number of representatives.
Other members of the Artlets contingent were Jazper Reigh Tomada, Ma. Ninfa Paula Valdemar, and Jewill Mile Enrijo (Team B); Frances Reign Nacua, Francine Marie Enciso and Pam Ashley Fale (Team C); Rocco Carmine Paragas, Maria Fides Elona and Martin Joseph Galapon (Team D); and Sean Gabriel Estadilla, Elisha Prue Gonzales and Enya Nicolette Nicolas (Team E).
Thomasian students Rochelle Manalo, Jairo Jeriko Hanson, Andrei Berto, Anne Felice Barbuco, Maritoni Jean Caridad and Aron Josh Bernaldo participated in the tournament as adjudicators. Meanwhile, the trainers guesting were Caridad and Political Science senior Christopher Chua.
This year’s Debatable Open, held online from April 12 to 13, had three divisions, namely novice, schools (high school) and open categories. F
