The Debates

Participants from all over the Philippines undergo seven, tough Preliminary Rounds to become part of the top 16 teams that will move on to the Finals Series. After four more rounds, only one team will be declared National Champion. PIDC uses the Asian Parliamentary format, with teams of three comprising either Affirmative or Negative and delivering three seven-minute speeches each.

Social Events

Despite its highly competitive atmosphere, PIDC ‘10 is also a venue for friendship and fun. At Opening Night, we warmly welcome the participants and guests, giving them a good jumpstart to the upcoming week they’ll have. The Break Night Party, a night of music and dancing, caps off the preliminary rounds in a toast to the teams qualifying for the finals series. And last but not least, the Championship Dinner culminates the tournament with the awarding of the best speakers, adjudicators and the new Grand National Champion.

Issue Forum

PIDC 2010 will host an Issue Forum that is timely and relevant to the upcoming 2010 National Presidential Elections. PIDC features an influential personality who is invited to talk about today’s most pressing issues. Our past speakers have been former Senate Presidents Franklin Drilon and Aquilino Pimentel, Sr., and celebrity economist Prof. Solita “Winnie” Monsod. The issue forum is not exclusive to the PIDC participants; non-participating students within and outside UP Diliman are invited to take part as well.

Debate With Your President: The Philippine Presidential Debates 2010

In the spirit of the PIDC 2010 campaign to “Make Your Voice Count!”, the tournament will welcome its participants from all over the Philippines with an enriching session featuring a debate among the candidates for the May 2010 elections. The pool of participants, made up of eligible voters, would indeed gain a more holistic insight on the candidates, aiding them in the crucial decision-making process. This event sets the stage for the tournament’s role in consolidating the youth and prompting them to contribute to nation-building.

Asian Union Cup

Fostering debate development throughout the country has always been the thrust of the Philippine Inter-Collegiate Debating Championship. In the past years, PIDC 2010 has served as the launching pad of several new institutions into the field of debating. To strengthen PIDC’s commitment to the enrichment of Philippine debating, and to create more opportunities for learning and growth in the debate arena, PIDC 2010 is proud to present the Union Cup.

PIDC 2010 will hold the Union Cup in the Asian Parliamentary format and will implement the following qualifications for breaking eligibility:

a). The team must not be part of the main break or the Top 16 teams after the preliminary rounds;

b). The team must be part of an institution that has never made it to the semifinals of PIDC/IIDC; c). The team must emerge as the highest ranking team in their respective region (either Luzon, Vizayas, or Mindanao) based on the tabs.

Only the highest ranking team from each region is eligible to compete in the Asians Union Cup Finals, i.e. the two finalists should not come from the same region. (A team must fulfill all the three qualifications to be eligible to compete in the Asians Union Cup Finals). The Asians Union Cup is one of the exciting additions to this year’s PIDC.