Now on it’s 30th year, the Annual UP Pi Sigma Fraternity Open Debate Tournament shall be held this September at select venues in UP Diliman. The longest-running open debate tournament in Asia is back and will be held on September 8 at the Malcolm Hall Theater for the opening round, September 14 at the NCPAG Assembly Hall for the semifinal round, and September 22 at the School of Economics Auditorium for the final round.
The UP Pi Sigma Fraternity was founded in 1972 at UP Diliman. Espousing the fraternity’s twin principles of Paglingkuran and Sambayanan and Paragon of Scholarship, Pi Sigma has initiated various activities carrying these ideals. The Annual UP Open Debate Tournament is an encapsulation of these twin principles and is the fraternity’s flagship event held annually in UP Diliman and attended by students and professionals alike from various institutions.
Established in 1988 by Sigmans and current UP College of Law Professors Atty. Crisostomo Uribe and Atty. Dan Calica, the tournament seeks to promote social awareness and critical thinking regarding pressing national issues. The progenitors of the debate conceptualized this platform, as it sheds light on different perspectives regarding such issues, to aid the audience in discerning and formulating their own opinions based on facts and arguments presented by both sides.
The tournament’s 30th installment shall tackle topics ranging from environmental issues for the opening round, tax reform for the semifinal round, and the imposition of Martial Law in Mindanao for the final round. Matches shall follow the Modified Oregon-Oxford format and 8 teams from universities within Metro Manila are set to compete. The champion shall be awarded a cash prize of 30,000 php while the runner-up shall be awarded 10,000 php.
With the UP Pi Sigma Fraternity’s 45th year and the 30th installment of its Open Debate Tournament, the fraternity remains steadfast in its commitment to inform the masses and develop the minds of the Filipino people in our struggle towards a better society.