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May 24, 2004—The Ateneo Debate Society (ADS), a partner-project of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for its youth-oriented program, emerged as the Grand Champion of the 11th All-Asian Intervarsity Debating Championship. The tournament was also known as the Queen’s Cup, named after Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of the Royal Kingdom of Thailand, deemed as one of the most prestigious events in the country. The ADS became the first team to successfully defend the title for 2 consecutive years when ADMU Team A, composed of ADS President Eleanor Uy (IV AB MA POS), Jess Lopez (IV AB POS), and Lisandro Claudio (II AB Comm), defeated ADMU Team B, composed of Madeleine Dy (BS ME 2004), Mahar Mangahas (IV AB Eng Lit), and Rhyan Uy (MA Eco) during the Grand Final of this year’s championship, hosted by Assumption University, in Bangkok, Thailand, from May 17-24. The teams debated the motion “This house believes that religious leaders should be given a stronger role in the reconstruction of Iraq” in the United Nations Asian headquarters in the city of Bangkok. Uy of ADMU Team 1 was adjudged as the Grand Final’s Best Speaker. It is the first time a Philippine university has had 2 teams in the Grand Final, and this is the 4th time the society has won the competition. The Ateneo teams were proudly supported by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and the Ateneo de Manila University.

ADMU Team A was the highest ranking team after three days of preliminary rounds, outperforming teams from all over Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Asia. On the way to the Grand Final, the top seeds defeated teams from the University of the Philippines, the International Islamic University Malaysia, and the University of Indonesia, among many others. ADMU Team B scored a significant victory in the Final 8 leg of the tournament by decisively defeating the 2nd seeded team in the competition, MMU Team A from the Multimedia University, Malaysia. In the past 2 years, MMU Team A and ADMU Team A would meet in the Grand Final, with Ateneo emerging as the victor.

The Ateneo contingent also made a remarkable showing in the individual rankings. Lopez was named the No. 1 Debater in Asia. Eleanor Uy was ranked 3rd, and Lisandro Claudio 7th. Charisse Borromeo (I BS ME) of Ateneo Team 4 was ranked No. 14. Dy of Ateneo Team 2 was the 15th Best Debater.

Ateneo Team C reached the Final 16 leg of the competition. Ateneo Team C was composed of Sharmila Parmanand (II AB POS), Glenn Tuazon (II AB Comm), and Kristel Tiu (II AB Psych). Ateneo Team D, consisting of Borromeo, DS Corpuz (III AB POS), and Ramon Fuentebella (II AB MECO) was the 17th seeded team in the tournament, missing the Final 16 by a close margin.

The consecutive victories of the ADS at the Asian Championships marks the continued success of the Society in international competitions. In the past year alone, the ADS has reached the final series of the World Championships and the Final Four of the Australasian Championships. The ADS will be competing next in July at the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championship, in Sydney, Australia.