Debatable Podcast

26/09/2025

A few weeks ago, I ranted in a podcast episode about the frustrations of existing in the online space, but acknowledged that with the lines between offline and online blurring, certain compromises will be needed in order to communicate to the best of our abilities.

As the platforms we use continue to influence our beliefs, as well as how we present those beliefs, the more there is a need to properly understand the media we exist in. It becomes our responsibility to understand the potential harms and benefits of social media, especially if we plan to use them for ourselves.

ANYWAY, on a completely unrelated Side Note: We have finally launched an Instagram page.

If you would like to see me continue to wrestle with the imperfections of media and stubbornly fight against it, do check out the other content siblings of Debatable:

🎙️Spotify (podcast): https://open.spotify.com/show/075m0TXHPY0eEY3wCFSvv8?si=7e9f43f534af4a71
📹Youtube (video): https://www.youtube.com/
💬Blog (texts): https://averagereasonableperson.substack.com/
📸Instagram (photos): https://www.instagram.com/podcastdbtbl
💻Facebook (meta): https://www.facebook.com/podcastdbtbl/

25/09/2025

Hi! Nina here. I would like to use Debatable to promote a series of electives I will be part of since it ties in heavily with the initiatives we have been launching here.

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A few days ago I was ranting to Thea and Mario about how comment section debates aren’t good anymore (whether they were good to begin with might be a stretch but that’s not the point). People result to slurs, and callouts, and name-calling especially when faced with hard arguments. Both sides are guilty of this. Not only was it offensive but its worst crime to me is that it’s lazy and boring as a debate.

This is not a new complaint from me. It isn’t a new complaint in general, I’m sure. I would say it is one of the strongest reasons I am trying to bring debate to politics and social media through my involvement with the amazing people in Partido Sosyalista and in my own passion project Debatable; pushing projects that have debate and politics run parallel.

The value of debate is in its ability to push logic to its extent and beyond, forcing you to beat out bad arguments whilst understanding why the bad arguments are rampant and persuasive to begin with. We aim to make good debates out of bad faith ones. And to do that one must approach any discussion with empathy.

My experience with politics is the same.

I am of the belief that politics is won based on persuasion. You win votes and support through how ideas are phrased, how well they are done, and how they are executed and on what platform.

In other words: manner, matter, and method.

If this interests you and you would like to talk about it some more, do consider stopping by for the electives!

23/09/2025

The glorification of peaceful protesting is dangerous and actively leaves out those who have been driven to action. It also, by extension, delegitimizes all the violence that has paved the way for the political changes we benefit from.

Protests are not new, and have never been without their share of disruptions. They are, at their core, defiance of what is considered peace in the eyes of the state. Peace meaning that no one speaks up. Peace meaning that people suffer in silence instead. Peace meaning that the people yell their concerns and government officials nod before resuming the corruption they have always done.

Peace only serves to benefit those who stand to lose when people defy the way things are. It is no wonder it is those very same corrupt systems that try to trick us into thinking peace is the way things should be done.

Instead of demonizing violence, we ought to turn our attention to the reasons people felt the need to resort to it.

Corruption, abuse, and discrimination kill. When people have everything to lose, it is natural for them to fight back.

When those in power choose to wield their money, influence, and positions to take advantage of the less fortunate, people defend themselves with what they can. Some fight with words, some fight with their own influence. For many, they are pushed by anger to pick up rocks and fires in an attempt to fight back against thousands of armed policemen.

The narrative of a peaceful protest only keeps violence monopolized by those who are allowed to call it by another name—“enforcement,” “peacekeeping,” “policing,” etc. When guns are shot, the fact that we ask who wields the gun before giving it a name tells us all we need to know about this narrative.

And if protesting is defiance, then we are proud to oppose.
And opposition must take many forms for it to be heard.

03/09/2025

Here are some snippets from the tournament weekend!

Thank you once again to everyone who stopped by, and joined us despite the cold, the rains, and the sometimes zero visibility inside and outside the convening hall of Baguio City High School Main!

More photos can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-_Mxcal1D4VA80JQrJl8PbWFs7tGY-tD?usp=sharing

Thank you to members from UP Baguio Debate Varsity, BCHS Debate Society, and UC Speech and Debate Society for being our eyes during the competition.

03/09/2025

02/09/2025

Baguio DeTour: Open Grand Finals Results

02/09/2025

Baguio DeTour: Novice Grand Finals Results

02/09/2025

Baguio DeTour: Open Speaker Awards

02/09/2025

Baguio DeTour: Novice Speaker Awards

02/09/2025

Baguio DeTour: Judge Awards

02/09/2025

Baguio DeTour: Concluding Message from Debatable

Debatable launched back when the online debate space was practically unheard of. In 2019, the vision we had was to serve as an online hub to bridge the gap of those who had the resources and those that did not.

In that first year, many podcast episodes were released. Debatable existed to complement the many offline debate initiatives all over the nation.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, we knew that goal had to expand. It was no longer just about ensuring the transfer of debate knowledge, but about maintaining the community that came with it. In the first year of the pandemic, we were one of the many that tried their hand in organizing online competitions for the first time. Since 2021, we have hosted multiple online competitions, and too many episodes and lectures to count. And we were not alone in doing so. The community was not just surviving, it was living.

And while the skills of debate continue to grow everywhere for many, it is often difficult to continue to love the sport without the energy of a community you can see and be around. It is also difficult to guarantee continuous support from schools and educational institutions when they cannot see what debate has to offer.

As we slowly transition back offline, there is now a space for both debate spaces to exist. And while our community grows, we aim to welcome more people in the sport by taking the trip to meet them where they are, and show them what debate is all about.

Once again hosting an offline competition in Baguio after many years is a testament to what can be accomplished when people come together. Through reaching out to school administrations, getting endorsements from government departments, and inviting various debate organizations, we have hopefully paved the way for more debate projects to emerge even after we leave. We also hope that through the DeTour, communities can find their own way. That is the heart of this project.

We want to help local debate communities get where they want to go. And it is through these DeTours that we know Debatable is on the right track.

We can’t wait to see you in the next ones.

Because debate is for everyone, everywhere.

01/09/2025

Dear participants and all the friends we met in Baguio, thank you for attending Baguio DeTour: A Debatable Tournament!

First, our deepest gratitude to Baguio City High School Main, with Principal Whitney Dawayen, Ma'am Soraya Faculo, Ma'am Jen Abul for the all the support. This event would not have been possible without the generosity of the admin, the amazing and hardworking faculty and staff who lent us their spaces.

Thank you also to our runners, BCHS Debate Society, UP Baguio Debate Varsity, and UC Speech and Debate Society 💛 Your lovely energy and passion has really kept the tournament fun and smooth for everyone.

Thank you to our CAP Oarben, Macha, and Duca for the amazing motions! You were absolutely fantastic, and we hope all the participants had an amazing time.

Congratulations to OSFI KD for bagging the Novice Finals, and to UPLB Preach and Praise for winning the Open Finals!

Here are our award slides:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DPZRLnFsCnMLjksKH8TzvJs21LVNIxhbgIAkltGitPw/edit?usp=sharing

Love,
Nina + Thea 💛

AWARDING CEREMONY