I was never good enough to be part of the school’s debate team when I was a student. I might have misconstrued the whole thing as geeky, too, but nowadays I realize more than ever that eloquence often portends a bright future. So I am writing to support young Filipino college debate students who are about to undertake one of their biggest events ever.

The Philippine Inter-collegiate Debating Championships will be coming to Tarlac this April, through the combined efforts of the University of the Philippines Debate Society (UPDS), the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), the Tarlac Conventions and Visitors Bureau (TCVB), and the Aquino Foundation.

From April 13 to 16, over 200 students from various colleges and universities will be gathering in Luisita, Tarlac City for the event touted as the most prestigious Asian Parliamentary debate tournament in the country.

“PIDC 2007: The Ninoy Aquino Cup”, with the theme Filipino Minds, Global Perspectives, was created to foster an arena for college and university students from all over the Philippines to critically discuss the most relevant national and international issues.

Up for grabs is the Ninoy Aquino Cup, aptly named after the Filipino hero whose eloquence and critical awareness inspired the nation. The Ninoy Aquino Cup will be awarded to the top team that will emerge from the 7 preliminary rounds and 4 elimination rounds. These debate rounds will tackle pressing national and international issues, and engage participants in meaningful discourse.

Student participants are already looking forward to the event both as an opportunity to enrich their debating experiences and also as an opportunity to travel this summer. They will be billeted at Microtel Inns and Suites – Luisita while the Aquino Convention Center will serve as the venue for Opening Dinner, Championship Night, and the elimination rounds. Meanwhile, another socials event, the Break Night Party, will be held al fresco at the CocoGrill. Preliminary rounds, on the other hand, will be at the Tarlac National High School. With these preparations, the organizers will be able to showcase Tarlac as a viable tourist destination and conventions venue.

Preparations for PIDC 2007 are already underway as students have begun registering for the event and sponsors have started committing to be part of the event. With UPDS, NPVB, and TCVB at its helm, PIDC 2007 promises to be an event greatly benefiting Tarlac and ultimately, the Filipino youth.

Interested in being a part of PIDC 2007? E-mail the organizers at pidc2007@gmail.com or visit www.pidc-online.com.