Est. 1993 |
UP DEBATE SOCIETY
Magna est veritas et prevalebit
Vision: To foster a comfortable environment in pursuit of healthy competitiveness, both externally and internally. The UP Debate Society will be an organisation that recognizes that individual contribution of each member. Mission: To work on collective and individual excellence in the art of debate and argumentation, and shall provide a forum for the discussion of issues pursuant to the ideals and objectives of its members. |
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The UP Debate Society was established in response to a call by Professor Ramona Flores to institutionalize the art of debating in the University. Seventeen individuals, comprised of veterans of the intercollegiate Pi Sigma Open and several Speech Communication students, answered. Anna Alfaro was the Society’s founding President, while Jonathan Malaya and Katherine Napalinga were elected Vice President and Scribe. Professor Ramona Flores became the Society’s first faculty advisor. After its recognition by the Office of Student Activities, the UP Debate Society was declared UP Diliman’s official representative to tournaments and competitions here and abroad. Since then, the Society still continues its pursuit of excellence in debate, receiving numerous debate and public speaking achievements in local and international tournaments. Moreover, the Society has continued to spread the art of debate and public speaking by hosting tournaments and partnering with other organizations through its Debate Education Program. The UP Debate Society we know today was built on the backs of its alumni and members. Its foundations are the tenacity displayed by its members in all their endeavors, and the love poured out for the betterment of greater society. Awards: UPDS is home to 13 National Championships and the 2013 Asian Championship. Our members continue to garner individual awards in national and international competitions -- going as far as the United Kingdom, Australia, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and more each year for tours, competitions, and other programs. The organization was also awarded with the 2020 Ignacio B. Gimenez Award for UP Student Organizations’ Social Innovation Projects Outstanding Award for its Debate Education Program (DEP). Advocacies: Debate education & critical analysis of relevant social issues |
