By: Bro. Alvin C. Laserna Jr.
BAGUIO CITY— Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary holds philosophical debate during the 4th day of Jornadas de Filosofia 2022, last March 31, 2022 at the Seminary Mini-Theatre.
Six seminarians from different fraternities volunteered for the debate who comprised the three-man-team of the affirmative and negative side. The debate used a Modified Oregon-Oxford Format.
With the 5-3-5 format, each member of the team gave prepared speeches for five minutes, interpellation for 3 minutes, and rebuttal for 5 minutes.
Bro. Justine Luis Zafra, Bro. Johny Lasponia, and Bro. Christian Joseph Codilla joined the affirmative side and Bro. Jesse Meer E. Alipes, Bro. Alvin Laserna Jr., and Bro. John Philippe Sosongco membered the negative side.
The participants resolved that: “The Martial Law Regime is the Golden Age of the Philippines.” The panel of adjudicators included, Rev. Fr. Bernard C. Amparado, OAR, seminary rector, and Mr. Edward Macariola, lay formator, with Ms. Marisol Afuang as the head adjudicator.
In the end, the adjudicators favored the negative side. Bro. Jesse Meer Alipes is awared as the Best Speaker and Best Debater/Interpellator of the night.
First of its Kind
“It has been a long time since we are not able to hold this kind of activity in the seminary. We had the last one almost two years ago, but we used a different format,” said Rev. Fr. Anthony P. Irineo, OAR, dean of studies of the seminary, in his opening remarks.
He also shared that the debate was only finalized three days prior to the event. “Do you see? ‘Where there is a will, there is a way,” Fr. Irineo said.
The initial idea, as Fr. Irineo said, was opened up by Rev. Fr. Ralph Laureen Ciceron, OAR, the spiritual director of the seminarians, upon the observance that it has been so long since the seminary held a debate.
Consequently, Bro. Justine Luis Zafra, one of the participants in the debate and also the Academics Committee chairman, opened the event to the community and it has received a positive response.
When asked about his experience in the debate, Bro. Justine Luis Zafra said, “I was actually afraid at first because this is my first time joining this kind of event.” Yet, he added, “it was a fun experience.”
