THE THOMASIAN Debaters Council (TDC) landed in the top ranks among 54 other competing teams in the 8th All-Asian Inter-Varsity Universities Debate Championships at the College of Saint Benilde last month.
In the tournament, the second largest debating competition in the world, the University sent three teams and three adjudicators who advanced to the octo- finals and in the quarters after seven elimination rounds. The three teams sent by the University ranked 5th, 14th, and 16th, respectively.
Among 164 debaters who participated in the competition, UST Graduate School’s Franco Larcina was declared Asia’s over-all best speaker while Faculty of Civil Law’s Arlene Maneja and Audrey Zaens were proclaimed the 4th and 9th best speakers, respectively.
Furthermore, only UST was able to send two debaters to the final round of the Public Speaking Competition, Carlo Olivar of the College of Commerce and Zaens.
In addition, the team led by Civil Law students Enrique dela Cruz and Arnel Ordas won the championship in the Masters Competition, the category for former Asian champions.
Ordas was honored as one of the tournament’s best adjudicators.
“We feel our performance was very significant because for six of our nine debaters, this was their first tournament,” said TDC Adjudicator Atty. Elizabeth Inoturan.
Meanwhile, the TDC is now competing in the Australasian Debate in Singapore sponsored by the Nanyang Technology University.
Each team will be composed of three debaters each. As of press time, only the first team of debaters has been formed, composed of Maneja, Ordas, and Larcina.
The University is also preparing to host the National Debate Competition this October. Marie Carisa U. Ordinario
