MMSU-LC tops 2014 FEM debate

For the second time, the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU)–Laoag Team won the Ferdinand Edralin Marcos (FEM) Debate Cup held September 10, 2014 at the Laoag City Auditorium.

With the motion “Haanmi a kayat nga agbalin a parte ti Metro Ilocos Norte” (This house does not want to be part of Metro Ilocos Norte), MMSU-Laoag Team 2 defeated Northwestern University (NWU) Team 1 in the championship battle in an Asian Parliamentary System.

On the government side, Antonio Guerrero III, Michael Quiambao and Aurelio Garcia of NWU argued that the proposal to modernize Ilocos Norte, particularly Batac City, will destroy its vast agricultural land, cause problems on transportation and increase crime rates—and will eventually remove the cultural identity of Bataqueños.

On the other hand, Gillian Karl Bolo, Johanna Calaycay and Romel Calasag of MMSU-Laoag stood for the opposition side and defended that while industrialization does not mean destroying the city, the use of high technology will contribute to better modes of farming, transportation and safety measures.

The motion is derived from the recently held State of the Province Address (SOPA) by Governor Imee Marcos on August 26, 2014.

The FEM Debate Cup 2014 was participated by five colleges and universities in the province namely MMSU-Batac, MMSU-Laoag, NWU, Northern Christian College and Datacom Institute of Computer Technology.

Adjudicators led by Mark Jayson Maulit declared Bolo of MMSU-Laoag as the Best Debater and Guerrero of NWU as Best Speaker. (Jennifer T. Pambid-PGIN-CMO)