The Accountancy (ACC) Griffins defended their title as Ignatian Cup champions in a final-round clash over Ateneo de Davao University’s (AdDU) social advocacy priorities, a motion designed to prompt students to reflect on their role in social formation and the university’s approach to advocacy.
ACC: “The Fast, The Flush, The Fish” was composed of Cashmere Castillones (Overall Best Speaker), Harold Olang (5th Best Speaker), and Dasha Daquipil (5th Best Speaker), while the SS: “Bahala Na Kayo Sa Buhay Niyo Basta Ako Nakaangat Na Ako” featured Joan Gabrielle Escoton (2nd Best Speaker), Regerick RL Benito, and Marianne Claire Clarin.
The final round featured the motion, “THBT AdDU should prioritize expanding social advocacy accessibility over developing specialized student advocacy programs,” challenging debaters to weigh broader access to advocacy against investments in specialized initiatives.
Ignatian Cup facilitator Rian Yzabelle Cunanan said the motion was selected to make the competition relevant to students’ experiences, particularly their involvement in social formation initiatives such as the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
“The goal always of ADV was always to create motions and have Ignatian Cup talk about issues that are prevalent in the Ateneo community but also talking about things that Ateneans can relate to,” Cunanan said, adding that the discussion aimed to encourage reflection on the university’s direction in holistic education and social engagement.
On the opposition side, Castillones emphasized the value of specialized student advocacy programs in directing resources toward specific causes, arguing that targeted initiatives could help sustain advocacy efforts.
“The margin is that they focus more on these specialized programs. You give them more budget, you give them more focus, and at the end of the day, this is where we all stand the benefit,” Castillones argued during the final round.
Meanwhile, Daquipil attributed the team’s championship to weeks of online and face-to-face training sessions that strengthened their individual skills and team chemistry.
“Maintaining our cluster’s title as the defending champions of Ignatian Cup 2026 proved that every late night spent balancing training sessions with rigorous academics was worth it,” Daquipil said.
On the other hand, Olang credited the team’s strategic approach to rebuttals, explaining that they focused on identifying which responses would most effectively strengthen their position rather than simply answering each argument individually.
“The deciding factor was our team’s outcome-oriented approach to responding. Instead of just going point-by-point, we constantly evaluated: ‘What response gives us the clearest path to victory?’” Olang said.
Castillones also shared that balancing their demanding academic workloads with debate preparations posed a major challenge, requiring the team to make sacrifices and compromises to train together.
“Since we all were committed to doing our best and representing the cluster well, we had to make sacrifices and compromises in order to make it work,” Castillones said.
Beyond retaining the championship, Daquipil said the team hoped to emphasize the value of understanding opposing perspectives and engaging in respectful discourse, especially in an environment where disagreements can quickly turn confrontational.
“In a world where genuine conversation is constantly pushed aside for quick outrage, debate is a powerful reminder that empathy and sharp, respectful dialogue are still the best ways to actually reach people,” Daquipil said.
With the Griffins retaining the championship, the SS Dragons finished as first runner-up, while the Humanities and Letters (HUMLET) Wolves placed second runner-up.
The final round was held at the Media Room of Xavier Hall, 8F CCFC Building, last October 15.