Ateneo crowned as back-to-back Debating champion of Asia

Ateneo students emerged as the back-to-back Asian Champions at the 12^th Asia-British Parliamentary Debating Championship (ABP) and at the 11^th United Asian Debating Championship (UADC). ABP 2020 was hosted by the Malaysian Institute for Debate and Public Speaking (MIDP) on October 3-4 & 10-12, 2020, while UADC 2020 was hosted by the Bangladesh Debating Council on December 10-16, 2020.
 
The APB championship team consisted of Ignacio Lorenzo Villareal (4 – AB Ec-H) and Mikko Carlo Vitug (3 - BSM AMF). They were joined by David Africa (2 – BSM AMDS) in the UADC Championship team.
 
“Hearing our names proclaimed as champions of Asia relieved us from all the pressures because we finally accomplished something we dreamed of,” said Villareal. “Making all the people who supported us feel proud is the greatest feeling,” added Vitug.
 
ABP 2020 and UADC 2020 are among the largest and most prestigious Asia-based inter-varsity parliamentary debate championships, attended by about 160 teams from over 70 universities and 120 teams from over 90 universities, respectively. They are participated in by some of the top universities in Asia, such as the National University of Singapore, Chinese University of Hongkong, and the University of Tokyo.

 
Aside from the ABP and UADC championship title, Vitug was proclaimed as the ABP best speaker of Asia, ABP finals best speaker, UADC 8^th best speaker of Asia, and UADC 4^th best reply speaker of Asia. Villareal was recognized as the ABP 2^nd best speaker of Asia and UADC 4^th best speaker of Asia.
 
Joining the Ateneo team at the ABP 2020 are as follows: David Africa (2 - BSM AMDS) and Luigi Alcañeses (4 - BS ME & ECH), Asian semi-finalists; Javi Del Mundo (2 - BS LM) and Quintin Chua (2 - AB EC), Asian quarterfinalists. Africa and Alcañeses were also recognized as the 3^rd and 6^th best speaker of Asia, respectively. Nicolas Lozano (4 - BS ME) was recognized as the 2^nd best adjudicator of Asia after serving as EFL grand finals judge and open semifinals judge.

 
Several Ateneo students were also awarded at the UADC 2020: Luigi Alcañeses (4 - BS ME & ECH), Maeca Pasensoy (3 – BS Mgt-H), and Irene Dela Cruz, Asian quarterfinalists; Julia Ocoma (3 - BS Mgt-H), Aly Barranda (1 – AB PolSci), and Quintin Chua (2 – AB Ec), Asian quarterfinalists. Moreover, Alcañeses was awarded as the 7^th best reply speaker of Asia. Nicolas Lozano (4 - BS ME) was recognized as the 3^rd best adjudicator of Asia and Kenji Tate (2 – BS HSci) as 10^th best adjudicator of Asia.
 
“This championship is a good symptom for the Ateneo Debate Society (ADS) that we have a growing and strengthening debate organization that is internationally competitive, and that Ateneo forms students who are globally competitive in intellectual pursuits,” said Villareal.

 
“Ateneo has given us a lot of academic considerations while preparing for this competition. I felt that I did not always have to choose between academics and debating, and when I do, there are always ways to compensate for it. That made me really happy to be in Ateneo,” added Vitug.
 
This feat marks Ateneo’s first ABP championship title and third UADC championship title. Furthermore, this is the first year that the Ateneo de Manila University is proclaimed as the Asian back-to-back champion in both prestigious competitions.