FOR THE 1ST TIME: MGDS organizes Mindanao-wide debate tourney; successfully hosts event in boarding house amidst facility constraints

by GUIA REBOLLIDO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, February 9 – Members of the Mindanao State University - GSC Debate Society (MGDS) hosted the fifth installment of a Mindanao-wide debate tournament for the first time last January 26-28 in a boarding house in Uhaw, Fatima due to lack of available facilities in the university.“We have to show that the Mindanao is a strong and like a powerful competitor, not just in debating, but it also in organizing too,” Joshua Dalimbang, Technical Director of the 5th Mindanao Novice Cup (MNC) and MGDS Treasurer, said in an interview.Organized by a host institution for the first time, the 5th Mindanao Novice Cup is one of the biggest debate tournaments in Mindanao, with over 90 competing teams all over the region, according to Dalimbang.“You get to see novice debaters and novice judges from different institutions from other parts of Mindanao compete,” the MGDS treasurer remarked.

According to Jefferson Quipit, the MNC Tournament Convenor and President of MGDS, the fifth installment of the MNC is the only tournament in all of its predecessing tournaments with the most minimal delay. “The in-rounds was only roughly on a 30-minute delay, compared to its almost 2-hour delay on its previous runs,” said Quipit in a Facebook post last January 29.

Moreover, the MGDS president also expressed that their team’s intention was to make the debaters’ experience as light-hearted and fun as possible to lower the barrier of entry to debating.

Minimal support

According to the MGDS president, MNC’s organizing committee resorted to handling the event in a boarding house due to the lack of available rooms in the university.“We're handling 90ish teams in the tournament, and literally no rooms open in the campus and had to resort to using our boarding house,” explained Quipit in a post on X last January 27.Quipit also said that a blackout prompted their team to travel from Uhaw, Fatima to the city proper via tricycle to continue with the event.When asked whether the MGDS received assistance from the administration, the MGDS president said that only little support was offered.

“We were given a space in QuAMSO last Friday, but it was super saddening on our side that we can no longer request any rooms in the campus by the weekend because they are all closed,” he expressed.In addition to this, the tournament convener said that if a space or room in the campus were to be opened on the weekend, one had to pay the faculty.On the other hand, Mishell D. Lawas, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA) said in an interview that she is yet to consult with Office of Student Affairs (OSA) regarding the matter.

“I have to check on this because it involves our students, because under ko ang student activities, under ko ang OSA. So ido-double check ko sa OSA kung bakit may mga nag-transpire na mga ganoong comment galing sa society. I’ll take charge on that,” she stated.The MGDS is the official recognized debate and public speaking organization of the Mindanao State University - General Santos City, representing the university in local, national, and international debate competitions. (###)