General Santos City, October 14 - As the host revealed the team who won the hearts of the three chief adjudicators, Jhersey, Precious, and Achilles of Siklab Senior High School (SHS) Department was on the verge of tears as they received a gold medal in one of the prestigious debate competitions in Mindanao State University General Santos City (MSU-GSC).
According to Grade 11 student Jhersey Mae Guazo, the Parliamentary Debate Competition (PDC) is one of her major breakthroughs.
© MSU - GSC Debate Society
“I am excited and nervous at the same time po. Pero regardless sa result, we are happy naman po. Nung narinig namin na maka semis kami, happy na kami nun. Kasi yun lang yung goal talaga namin at first. Tapos nung na announce na naka grands po kami, very unexpected sya and we think it's more than enough na po for us,” she said.
Guazo also emphasized that even though her team was the youngest, it did not hold them back.
“We may have been the youngest there, but we didn’t let that define us. We proved that when you push yourself, when you believe in the team around you, and when you stay focused then you can overcome anything. We fought hard and we earned this victory together,” she spoke.
On the other hand, Precious Athena Malobo, one of the team members, recalled their difficulty concerning pressure and time, especially with some of their members having multiple events.
© Adrian Joven
“Pressure and time definitely posed hurdles in preparation for the event. All of us had other events other than debate, and that took some time away from preparing for it. And like with any other competition, the pressure was guaranteed. During sparring, we learned that two years ago, the senior high school won the PDC, and a year ago, the senior high school reached the semi-finals, and we wanted to live up to that as well,” she exposed.
With the help of the organization’s training and seminars, Malobo sparred with happiness and led them to learn more, lessening the pressure she received for the debate competition.
“During the debate, my head was filled with a lot of thoughts. But the thought that I could do better definitely took a big chunk of it. The things I wanted to say didn’t come until after I had given my speech. Though it is how everyone must be feeling, it continues to weigh on me,” she added.
Moreover, Achilles Peña, one of the contenders, expressed that it was not about just winning, but about expressing opinions, ideas, and concepts
“I'm planning to keep learning, keep growing, and keep joining tournaments. One of the best parts of the intramurals tournament was getting to meet and befriend ates and kuyas from other colleges. Those connections and experiences are what makes this journey so meaningful to me. Moving forward, I’m bringing that “ga aso-aso, ga siga-siga” energy with me to every debate I enter. I’m ready to keep the fire going and see how far it can take me,” he expressed.
Despite being the youngest competitor, Peña said their victory feels surreal, highlighting that age does not matter in receiving accomplishments.
He emphasized the win of Siklab, acknowledging it as the first championship trophy for Intramurals 2024.
“Our victory is proof that we belonged in that competition and it sends a message to others like us that don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too young or too inexperienced to succeed,” he remarked.
Jhersey Mae Guazo, being the Leader of the Opposition, received a gold medal for being the best speaker in the final match against the College of Education with a split decision of 2-1.
The Siklab, bearing the flag of Khaenri'ah, received a unanimous decision in the grand battle, leading to the success of the contenders in PDC 2024.
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