2019 POPULATION DEVELOPMENT DEBATE DIVISION LEVEL

Grade Level: Junior and Senior High School

Description: The event is a combination of argumentation and debate that is conducted in a modified
roundtable discussion. It enables the contestant to use his critical analysis and deep reasoning about the
different issues that occur in the society

1.Event Rules and Mechanics

The event is a combination of argumentation and debate that is conducted in a round table discussion. It
enables the contestant to use his critical analysis and deep reasoning about the different issues that
occur in the society. This also develops the ability of the students to organize his ideals promptly and
logically.

The event shall follow the rules and guidelines below:

A. There shall only be one (1) contestant/ debater from each Secondary School in every district of
Antique.
B. Each contestant shall wear a school uniform and should present their valid school ID during the
registration.
C. Contestants shall be assigned a number that will correspond to the number on the judging
sheet.
D. Topics to be debated shall revolve on the following issues: country’s foreign and economic
policies, environment, gender and society, governance, peace, and order, population and
reproductive health, and other current/ contemporary issues.
E. The debater is required to use the English language as a medium except for terminologies on
certain topics that are only stated in Filipino.
F. Debater will consist of two rounds.

Round I: Elimination Round

A. Each debater will be given a maximum of 3 minutes to deliver his/ her speech on the topic
drawn.
B. After the discourse of the first contestant/debater, the second debater will interpolate on the
speech of the first debater. The question for the interpolation will be focused on the arguments
of the opponent. Categorical questions will be allowed (Answerable by YES or NO), however, the
responder may choose to qualify or not to answer. A total of five (5) minutes shall be allotted to
the interpolations including other contestants’ clarifications, rebuttal and questions.
C. The Second Contestant will also give his/her speech on the topic, the third debater will be asking
questions to debater 2, debater 3 will be asked by debater 4, debater 4 by debater 5 and so on.

Round 2: Final Round

D. After the first round, half of the total number of contestants will be chosen to proceed to the
second round.
The debaters will be following the same order as the first round.
E. A new topic for debate will be given on the second round. The topics will also be selected from
the issues enumerated previously during the first round.
F. The same process from round 1 (letter C) shall followed.
G. The prompting and coaching during the duration of the debate shall be strictly prohibited.

II. Criteria for Judging are:

Delivery------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20 %

(tone of voice, use of gestures and level of enthusiasm are convincing to others)

Use of supporting evidence-----------------------------------------------------------------------25%

(examples and facts to support reasons with references)

Organizations----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25%

(view points and responses are outlined both clearly and orderly)

Reasoning and Ability to answer-----------------------------------------------------------------30%

(reasons are given to support viewpoints, arguments made by the other are responded to and dealt
with effectively)

TOTAL-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------100%
III. The decision of board of judges shall be final
IV. Resource Requirements
A. School Uniform
B. Tools and Equipment: timer, sound system
 SUGGESTED ISSUES/TOPICS for DIVISION POPDEV DEBATE
Elaborate your stand on the following issue:
1.SOGIE BILL
“ Leader turned CIBAC party-list Rep. Eddie Villanueva warned against the railroading of the
proposed Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill in its
current form.
"SOGIE bill... will not promote equality but will instead unduly give 'special' rights to some
members of our society at the expense of the rights of the other members and to the detriment
of the social order in our community," he said in a privilege speech.
ABS-CBN News Aug. 29, 2019
2.GOOD CONDUCT TIME ALLOWANCE
The Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law has been at the center of controversy after
initial news about the possible early release of convicted murderer-rapist Antonio Sanchez
broke.
As government officials backtracked on cutting short the prison term of Sanchez, the debate
has now focused on whether or not those convicted of heinous crimes should benefit from the
GCTA or will steal justice from the family of the victims.
Rappler.com, Aug. 27, 2019
3.LGBT PARENTING
LGBT people become parents in a variety of ways, including adoption, foster parenting, donor
insemination, surrogacy, and from previous heterosexual relationships but some of religious
institution are not amenable of this practice.
American –Civil liberties Union
6.NO HOMEWORK ON WEEKENDS
DepEd, in a statement released on Wednesday, August 28, 2019
said the measures would “enable learners to have more quality time with their parents, family,
and friends by limiting the homework [and] assignment to a reasonable quantity on school days
and by eliminating the same during weekends.”
Rappler.com, Aug, 28, 2019
 7.DOH MASS DEWORMING
To achieve the goal on Mass Deworming Program, the DOH is closely coordinating with civil
society groups and local government units to help in the information campaign and actual
implementation. But the problem is that the public is not inclined to take medicines unless
they are really ill or they have symptoms. One survey in the Philippines reported that some
parents will not allow their children to receive deworming tablets. Another in rural China found
that scepticism and local myths about the deworming programme could affect the uptake of
medication.
Philstar.com, May 30, 2018
8. TERRITORIAL DISPUTES ON PHILIPPINES SEAS
While the Philippines still asserts its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, President
Rodrigo Duterte is giving China fishing rights and marine exploration in the area.
ABS-CBN NEWS, July 17, 2019
9. 4P’s Program
With President Rodrigo Duterte's signature last May ,2019, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program or 4Ps is now a permanent program of government requiring regular appropriations
from the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Rappler,May 22, 2019
10. MASS TRANSPORT CRISIS IN NCR
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo stood by his statement that there is no mass transport
crisis in Metro Manila, saying that what is gripping the capital region now is a “crisis in poor
management” of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system and the “crisis is in the sufferance of
commuters and motorists.”
Inquirer.net Oct.13, 2019

11.MOTHER TONGUE IN ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM

Most teachers and parents acknowledge that mother tongues, being the child’s first language
are crucial in learning academic content responsible for developing children’s self-esteem and
instilling pride and in keeping their linguistic heritage alive, but some teachers responded of
feeling stressed and too cumbersome to teach especially in Math and Science Discipline while
other stakeholders view this as a backward approach to globally competitive education.
Discussion Paper:
 Starting Where the Children Are’: A Process
Evaluation of the Mother Tongue-Based
Multilingual Education Implementation
By:Jennifer D. Monje, Aniceto C. Orbeta Jr., Kris A. Francisco-Abrigo,
and Erlinda M. Capones

12.JOB CONTRACTUALIZATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III reiterated last February 9, 2019 the urgency of passing an
"Anti-Endo" law, saying that a measure banning the hiring of workers for fixed-term
arrangements or end of contract (endo) schemes should be considered "highest priority" before
the May 2019 elections.
Senate of the Philippines, 18th Congress
February 9, 2019

13. WOMEN IN BEAUTY PAGEANTS

Beauty pageants like Miss Universe are surrounded by controversy, hated by many yet watched
by millions. How could the makeup, expensive dresses, spray tans, and swimsuit contests be
setting a good example for young girls watching at home? Countless people argue that these
platforms teach young girls that they have to aspire to arbitrary beauty standards and expose
women for exploitation.
Beauty Pageants: The Tenacity Behind the Tiara

by Joshen Mantai , Daily Nexus, October 12, 2019

14. Mandatory ROTC Program for Senior High School Students
The Department of Education (DepEd) welcomed the revival of the mandatory Reserve Officers Training
Course (ROTC) after its proposed implementation in Senior High School (SHS) passed the third and final
reading at the House of Representatives.

The Department of Education (DepEd) expressed its support to the proposed mandatory
Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program for Senior High School (SHS) students in both
public and private schools nationwide.
Philippine News Agency, May 23, 2019

15.EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLING

Extrajudicial killings have been the chief human rights concern in the Philippines for many years
and, after a sharp rise with the onset of the anti-drug campaign in 2016, these continued in
2018 with an average of six persons killed daily in operations against illegal drugs, according to
the latest annual United States Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices.
The Philippine Star March 15, 2019
16. INTEGRATING SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOL
Education Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said the DepEd is working on the updates and
improvement of policy guidelines on the implementation of the Comprehensive Sexuality
Education (CSE) integrated with subjects and extra-curricular activities.
The topics would be integrated in such learning areas as Araling Panlipunan, Physical Education
and Health, Science, and Personal Development.
Philippine News Agency, April 4, 2019
17.REVIVING DEATH PENALTY
Senators on Tuesday began debates on proposals to revive the death penalty in the Philippines,
with minority Sen. Franklin Drilon making good on his promise to fight “tooth and nail” its
reimposition.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said a successful demand reduction strategy, not death
penalty, is the best way to curb the country’s the countries heinous crime rates.
ABS-CBN News, August 6, 2019
18.MINDANAO CONFLICT IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Mindanao conflict is fundamentally triggered more by the centralism of the state and
inadequate democratic space that limits the self-governing power of the minorities, particularly
the Muslims, in the southern Philippines. The contradiction between state’s nation-building
efforts and state-creation endeavours of the secessionist movement has sharpened the political
violence in Mindanao
The Mindanao Conflict in the Philippines: Ethno-Religious War or Economic Conflict?
Rizal G. Buendia
19.RH BILL
The latest numbers surrounding the Reproductive Health (RH) Law are far from encouraging.
Signed into law in December 2012 by President Benigno Aquino III, Republic Act No. 10354, the
Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, met much resistance and did not
get enacted until 2014, after which it still faced legal challenges and protests.
This reality is problematic, as the RH Law’s contraceptive prevalence target is crucial to the
drive to manage the country’s population growth as part of measures to address widespread
poverty.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2019
20. TRAIN LAW
By 2020, the Department of Finance aims to have all tax reform packages in place, including the
reduction of the corporate income tax from 30 percent to 20 percent and the reduction in the
number of capital income tax rates from 80 to 42,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III
was quoted by the Oxford Business Group as saying during a recent interview.
During its first three years in office, the Duterte administration managed to pass two packages,
the first of which was the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Act that took effect
in 2018.
Inquirer.Net, October 13, 2019