This episode is a little rant about my recent experiences living in an internet reliant on clouds, servers, and subscription payments that never seem to go down.

Also, we have events coming up, so check them out here: linktr.ee/debatableph

vote wisely

For this episode of Debatable, I sit down with Walden Bello: one of the most vocal critics of power dynamics and political issues in the Philippines and beyond.

And make sure to catch us at the book launch and to get yourself a copy of the memoir!

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GLOBAL BATTLEFIELDS BOOK LAUNCH:

🗓April 26, 2025 (Saturday)

🕑2:00–5:00 PM (Registration at 2:00 | Program starts at 2:30)

📍GT Toyota Asian Center Auditorium

📣LAUNCH SPECIAL: GET THE BOOK AT 15% OFF ONSITE

🖊RSVP preferred — especially for book orders: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5EWbVp0nOLkZkEaGF732r4g0W5M9xJGRspFOGI197cqGTKQ/viewform

📕 And if you can’t make it, you can get your copy here: 

Website: https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields

Shopee: https://go.ateneo.net/GlobalBattlefieldsSHOP

Lazada: https://go.ateneo.net/GlobalBattlefieldsLAZ

Ateneo University Press: https://unipress.ateneo.edu/product/global-battlefields-my-close-encounters-dictatorship-capital-empire-and-love

For this short episode of Debatable, Nina shares what she has been reading, how she incorporates reading into her life, as well as the different ways reading has benefited her different skillsets.

One of the books is being read in preparation for an upcoming interview with activist Walden Bello! If you wanna ask questions, here is the link: bit.ly/questionsforwalden

And if you wanna join Debatable Open, you can register here: https://linktr.ee/debatableph

Six years ago, Debatable launched the first ever episode on the skill of preparing for debates. Six years, 100+ episodes, five tournaments, and many many debate rounds later, it's time to revisit the episode, adding all the things learned over the years.

Sign up for our tournament! linktr.ee/debatableph

For this episode, Nina tries out vlogging on the podcast, talks about how she has been dissecting debates recently, and discusses some of the books she's picked up in order to derust from debate!

By the way, if you are a debater interested in competing in a tournament of ours, check out https://linktr.ee/debatableph for details on our upcoming tournament!

Debatable is back! In the spirit of revivals and starting anew, this episode is all about Nina's personal checklist and guidebook for training, reviewing debate, and coming back after being away for a while.

We are proud to present the last Post-Debate Analysis of our Debatable Open series! The Open Grand Finals of our event was all about different issues here in the Philippines. We would like to thank Gab Pacaño for their motions.

Motion 1: In 2017, Former President Rodrigo Duterte signed a proclamation formally designating the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) as a terrorist organization. This house regrets the designation of the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization.

Motion 2: This house believes that the characterization of the EDSA Revolution as peaceful does more harm than good.

Motion 3: “Friend to all, enemy to none" is the current independent foreign policy of the Philippines, which aims to forge alliances with several nation-states by remaining neutral in times of global conflict. This house believes that the Philippines should abandon “friend to all, enemy to none”.

For the Novice Finals and Open Semifinals of Debatable Open 2024, we talk to Jill Aycardo for the motion theme: RELIGION!

Motion 1: [4:26] In religious scriptures, the cause for sins and suffering is usually sourced from the temptations and desires of individuals. Generally, these desires are propagated to be individualistic in nature and it is through the faith in god/s and subscription to dogmas and rituals that save an individual from sin and suffering. THP a world where religions framed suffering as a collective test from god rather than being sourced from individual desires Motion 2: [18:13] Papal infallibility is a dogma in the Catholic Church that presupposes that a Pope can speak no wrong when he propagates doctrines based on religious scripture and tradition. This dogma does not necessarily mean that the Pope cannot sin nor does it mean that it cannot be challenged by other practitioners of faith. Instead, the dogma is related to the story of Jesus entrusting St. Peter (the first Pope) with his church, and thus the doctrines of faith or morals issued by the Pope are in his capacity as his successor to St. Peter. Essentially, sourcing the idea of the pope being infallible due to God's trust to Peter and his successors. Examples of when papal infallibility used was when Mary’s immaculate conception of Jesus and her assumption to heaven was placed into dogma, and the ruling of the Catholic Church having to reserve priestly ordination to men alone. THBT the Catholic Church should abandon the dogma of papal infallibility Motion 3: [31:07] The face of god refers to the theory that god’s existence cannot be perceived, as their characteristic of being transcendent assumes that they are infinite and are inconceivable to the human mind. TH, as a religious believer, prefers not to perceive god

For quarterfinals and novice semifinals, we had the LABOR/DEVELOPMENT set courtesy of Tengku Omar! Omar is a Human Resources (HR) professional and is part of the only Indonesian team to have broken in WUDC and is also a WUDC ESL finals judge.

The motions read: Motion 1: Professional loyalty is defined as an intense sense of belongingness towards an organization. This House supports the decline of professional loyalty in the modern workplace Motion 2: This House believes that workers should be compensated based on output rather than the amount of hours worked Motion 3: Currently, under the labor laws of majority of countries, only non-managerial employees (i.e. employees without leadership capacities or responsibilities) are allowed to unionize. This House would allow managerial employees to unionize Here are the timestamps for each motion LABOR Motion 1: [5:55] Motion 2: [19:50] Motion 3: [32:29]

For Open Octofinals and Novice Quarterfinals, we had the FEMINISM/GENDER set courtesy of Lia Snyder! Listen to the discussions we have in our latest Post-Debate Analysis episode.

Here are the timestamps for each motion:
[0:22] Transmaxxing is the practice of voluntarily transitioning into a woman, done by males who previously identify as part of the involuntary celibate (incel) community. This is because they believe that transmaxxing is the only way to stop being an incel, and to be able to partake in the perceived benefits that women disproportionately experience. This includes preferential male treatment (free meals or dates), diversity hiring, insurance, the ability to choose sexual partners, etc. There have been accounts of transmaxxers going into hormone replacement therapy, seeking psychologist validation of gender dysphoria, etc. so they can truly receive the benefits perceived to give women a distinct advantage in society. There is sentiment amongst transmaxxers that transmaxxing is a last resort or desperate approach to curbing involuntary celibacy.
TH, as the feminist movement, would not support transmaxxing.
[18:15] You are a 30-year-old Filipino feminist woman working at a reputable multinational company. You are, by all accounts, a girlboss. Your entire career is marked by milestones of breaking gender-based barriers. You are incredibly competent at your job. The male CEO of your company has recently gotten into a series of scandals that have severely tarnished the reputation of your company. The company has offered you the CEO position, in hopes that you can restore the company to its former success.

TH, as the feminist woman, would accept the CEO position.

[36:19] THP a world where feminists focus on healthy masculinity narratives (e.g. validating male emotion, vulnerability, etc.) as opposed to toxic masculinity.

We understand that the fourth round, being about INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, was especially tough for many of you. Likewise, we think that learning is especially important here. Whether you win or lose is always less important than whether you learned from the experience. And in the spirit of learning from experiences, we invite you all to listen to our PDA for round 4. We are grateful to have James Cachola with us as the motion contributor and interviewee for this set. James is a 3x regional champion and one of the best debaters in the country. They're currently working on their thesis proposal and so we're especially thankful that they gave us their time and expertise in this regard. IR Motion 1: [2:15] A "World government" is a socio-political concept that presumes a single administrative authority should have jurisdiction over all of Earth and humanity. This house welcomes the idea of transitioning into a World Government. Motion 2: [17:07] This house, as socio-democratic opposition parties in developing states within Asia, would implement a singular political agenda. Motion 3: [28:43] This House Believes that international organizations should cease their non-interventionist policy for territorial disputes concerning repetitive offenders.

For the third post-debate analysis for Debatable Open 2024, we talk about the EDUCATION motion set, featuring the insights of the renowned educator Sir Akeem Fabila!

[2:16] Space education, also known as space science education, encompasses the teaching and learning of concepts related to space exploration, astronomy, astrophysics, astronautics, and related fields. TH, as the Philippines, would aggressively integrate Space Education in its basic education curriculum. [18:16] You are an Afghan teacher in an underground girls school in Afghanistan. You are also a staunch advocate of girls education in the country. However, the Taliban has strictly imposed a ban on girls education (starting 12 years old up). Recently, the government has undertaken major crackdowns on underground schools putting you and your family at risk. TH, as an Afghan teacher, would continue to teach in the underground girls school. [31:13] THBT educational institutions should heavily de-emphasize the value of academic excellence (e.g. implementing a pass or fail system, abolishing all academic distinctions, etc.).

In this post debate analysis, we join award winning filmmaker Charlie Vitug to discuss the ethics behind Court Shows, reporting on politicians' private lives, and the possible TikTok ban!

[0:27] This House Regrets arbitration-based reality court shows. [16:19] This House Believes That media outlets should not report on the private lives of politicians. [27:40] This House Would ban Tiktok in the US