For the third consecutive year, MMSU bagged the championship in the Ferdinand E. Marcos Intercollegiate Debate Tournament, recognized as the biggest debating event in Northern Philippines. A team from the university’s Batac Campus defeated Northern Christian College (NCC) during the championship match held Sept. 16 at the Provincial Capitol Auditorium. MMSU also ruled the Sept. 14-15 elimination rounds hosted by the university’s College of Teacher Education. Aside from bragging rights, the winners received trophies, medals, and cash prizes.

Employing the Asian Parliamentary debate format, the final round focused on the motion “This house believes that all public utility vehicles (PUVs) should be under government control.”

With the recent launching of the Metro Ilocos Norte Council (MINC), the motion relates to the on-going efforts of Governor Imee R. Marcos on the transportation development in the province.

For the government side, John Marvin Galat, Agatha Quidilla, and Jazerie Sales of MMSU–Batac argued that government control of PUV entails benefits in transport and traffic management, better provision of services to the commuting public, and accommodation of tourists. On the other hand, NCC’s team posited that government control of PUVs is unnecessary as current regulations are already well-implemented and functional.

In her message, Governor Marcos noted that transportation is a burning issue for every Ilocano, especially to the youth who are considered to be the main passengers of PUVs.

The governor thus considered the debate significant and that “wide ranging policy and programmatic actions are guaranteed after.”

‘Debate community’

Now on its third year, tournament director Herdy La Yumul described how the FEM Debate Cup has given birth to a community of brilliant Ilocano speakers.

This year has welcomed the election of officers of the first ever Ilocos Norte Debate Union during the participants’ socialization night on September 15.

Yumul said that with the debate union, “we no longer want to just compete against one another; we now look forward to higher ends.” He vowed to push to send Ilocos Norte’s best debaters to the National Debate Championship to be held in Baguio City in December.

Moreover, a new feature of the tournament has been highlighted during the three-day competition wherein student adjudicators were trained during the elimination rounds. After ten rounds of rigorous debates, Julianne Bugaoisan of MMSU–Laoag was proclaimed as the best student adjudicator. Next year, Bugaoisan will head the tournament’s adjudication core.

During the final round, Bugaiosan joined police officer Aurora Manuela, lawyers Val Pascua and Erme Labayog, professors Janet Clark and Romeo Abucay, and Yumul in the adjudication panel for the championship match. The decision in favor of MMSU was nearly unanimous, with only one adjudicator voting for NCC.

Meanwhile, the elimination and semi-final rounds were judged by the tournament’s resident adjudicators: professors Fides Bernardo Bitanga, Rommel Dascil, and Rex Alejandro—all from CAS.

John Marvin Galat, president of the MMSU Debate Society, was declared as the championship match  best debater while Patrick Quitoriano of MMSU–Batac and Antonio Guerrero of Northwestern University tied for the tournament best speaker plum.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to Governor Imee, the most debate friendly governor in Asia, for giving the Ilocano youth the chance to contribute to the discourse on pressing issues in the province and in the nation,” said Galat.

Capping off the week-long celebration of FEM’S 98th birthday anniversary, the debate tournament is a fitting tribute to his legacy as one of the greatest debaters the Philippines has ever produced.

The FEM Intercollegiate Debate Tournament 2015 was joined by five colleges and universities in the province namely MMSU which had the Batac and Laoag campuses competing separately, Northwestern University, Northern Christian College, and Data Center College of the Philippines.

Governor Imee remarked, “we had a very balance, well-placed and even competition as all the participating schools have shown that they have excellent speakers, great debaters and analytical minds, indeed.”

During a courtesy call, Dr. Prima Fe R. Franco, officer-in-charge, congratulated the champion debaters and offered them support in joining national tournaments. (By Herdy La. Yumul and John Michael Mugas)