Country > Philippines > Bohol > Loboc
Date > 2017 > Sep
Activity > Slice of Life

'Judging' Blogs

Essay
Writing

Student
Debate

Beauty
Pagent

Judging the Beach Body Comp at Pura Vida Beach and Dive Resort

Body
Building

VDT Advanced Learning Center Blogs

Blogs VDT Advanced Learning Center

Yoga for 60+ Students at the University of Bohol

Yoga at
UofBohol

Talk on Philosophy and Spirituality to 12 Graders at the University of Bohol

Talk to
12 Graders

Student
Debate

Sept 15, 2017

Judging a Student Debate at the University of Bohol

Location : University of Bohol, Tagbilaran (city), Bohol (province), Philippines

The Invite
I received an unexpected email from Dean Kins from the University of Bohol, 'Do you want to be judge in a university debate?' Hmmm, I've judged a body building contest, beauty pageant / street dance before, but a university debate? Sure!

3 Judges
I was one of three judges - the lone outsider. Atty. Kins was also a judge together with Atty. Jun Amora who was once faculty of the university. The organizer was Atty. Mehul, another faculty. I was in the company of lawyers! In person, they seem much nicer than the lawyer jokes I hear about :) I had a great rapport with all of them.

Debate Issues
I sat on 3 debates - use of tablets vs. books in schools, death penalty and mandatory drug testing of students in schools. These are hotly contested items and the teams presented compelling arguments.

Conceptual Merits vs Reality vs Tear Jerkers
In some cases, I felt the arguments were about oranges vs apples - idealized concepts vs historical track record vs the grim reality. e.g. - one team might present the logical merits of the death penalty as a crime deterrent and even back it up with statistical data. But the other team could argue that introducing the death penalty is a slippery slope given the 13,000 deaths (and counting) of the current war against drugs. If the death count is still climbing, then the death penalty isn't working as a crime deterrent! But then again, you can also resort to pulling-out the tear-jerking stuff for emotional persuasion and maybe win the day.

Ending Thoughts
How difficult would it be for a debater to have a personal conviction about an issue he/she now has to debate against? You could be a staunch defender of right to life but tasked to defend the death penalty! It could be a crisis of conscience defending a position you are vehemently against.

As a judge, it is difficult to judge a debate about touchy issues specially if you already have your own personal bias about it. How do you empty your vessel to judge the arguments through their lenses and without your bias getting in the way?

Judging a student debate at the University of Bohol gave me a glimpse of a past life in the academe when I was still a teacher in UP Diliman. I enjoy being at the fringes of such learning institutions - but not at ground zero where I have to deal with its bureaucracy and politics.

Feeling the verve and passion of the students give me optimism that the future remains bright for this country despite being in dire straits given the political Zeitgeist.

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

lunch at Bohol Bee Farms with Attys. Kins and Mehul

with the debaters, Atty. Kins, Atty. Amora and Atty. Mehul

Coastal Cleanup with Plastic Free Bohol

(Sept 16, 2017) The coastal cleanup of Libaong Beach in Panglao as organized by Plastic Free Bohol yielded 73 sacks of garbage within a short strip of beach! There was a good turnout of eco-warriors for the 3 hour event. While not a long-term solution to the garbage problem, it was a much-needed shot-in-the-arm for the eco-system....more »»

Next Slice of Life:

The Silent Killer has Arrived

(Feb 19-22, 2018) On the 8th day, my head started spinning - I could not even stand up unless I hold on to something. This went on without reprieve for the rest of the day. I couldn't function. If there was nothing serious about my fall, I should be on the way to recovery. But a symptom like this appearing after 8 days? I guess the silent killer has arrived.....more »»

University of Bohol Blogs

Yoga for 60+ Students at the University of Bohol Oct 4, 2017
Talk on Philosophy and Spirituality to 11^th Graders at the University of Bohol Sep 27, 2017
Judging a Student Debate at the University of Bohol Sept 15, 2017

Bohol, Philippines

tourist attractions

Danao Adventure Park - zip lining, cable car ride, caving, river rides/trekking, off-road buggy ride, root climbing, rappelling and ultra-glide rides
Alona Beach - hub for tourists with hotels, resorts, restos, bars and dive shops
Chocolate Hills - hills side-by-side shaped like giant Kisses chocolate
Tarsier - pocket-sized marsupia looking like a monkey
Balicasag Island - one of the best dive spots in the Philippines
Loboc River - river cruise on a boat
Anda Beach - fine white sand beach with resorts, restos and cottages, 3 hours by bus from Tagbilaran
Cabagnow Cave Pool - brackish water pool about 5ft deep inside a limestone opening on the ground, 8 feet deep, P50
Lamanok Island - walk on a 100m bamboo bridge on stilts to a resto area to take a boat tour to caves and nearly attractions, P300
Combento Cave Pool - cave pool with underwater cave system, P20
Can-umantad Falls - long narrow drop until it hits a bulbous mound spreading it into a a curtain-like water canopy and down into a splash pool
Canawa Cold Spring - deep refreshing cold spring with developed pool area
Firefly Tour - evening boat ride into the river to watch fireflies

hotel

Fox & The Firefly Cottages - SUP paddle boarding, luxury riverside native cottages, mountain bike tours, SUP yoga
Baranggay Valladolid, Loboc, Bohol
Bohol Tropics Resort - seafront location, manicured surroundings, swimming pool, resto/bar
0133 Graham Avenue, Brgy. Cogon, Tagbilaran, Bohol 6300
Oasis Resort - Alona Beach location, dive center, resto / bar
Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol

yoga

Jing Yoga - health & well being through yoga
The Courtyard - Airport Road fronting the church
Bohol Meditation and Yoga Center - 2nd Floor Lim Magtajas Bldg. CPG Avenue

Bohol Travel Info/Tips

Bohol FYI / Tips

the tourist area where most of the hotels, restaurants, ticket offices, tour operators are, is located within the Alona Beach area
the tourist attractions in Bohol are far apart and spread-out. It would be difficult to visit them all using public mass transit. Better hire a van (P3500/day) if in a big group, or rent a motorcycle (P400/day + gas)
Bohol relies on its tourism for revenue. As expected, everything they can capitalize on from tourism is extensively used and developed

Tagbilaran Port to Panglao

You can charter any tricycle from the port all the way to Panglao (~P300), but if you want to do it on the cheap,

don't take the tricycles lined-up inside the port. Walk past the port gate and immediately outside, you'll see many tricycles. Take one to the bus terminal in Dao (~P15)
in Dao, take the jeep that plies the Panglao route (~P20)

Tagbilaran (Bohol) to Cebu City by boat

** schedules and rates keep changing, call for latest schedule

Weesam Express - departs 6:15 AM, 11:30 AM, 4:00 PM
one way: Economy (aircon) P500.00, Economy (non-aircon) P400.00, First Class P600.00
round trip promo (at least 2 days advance booking): Economy (aircon) P600, Economy(non-aircon) P500, First Class P1200
round trip promo (1 day or on the day booking): Economy (aircon) P800, Economy (non-aircon) P700, First Class P1200
Ocean Jet - departs 6-7:05-8:20-9:20-10:40-11:40AM, 1-2-3:30-4:20-5:30-6:30PM, 2 hours, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
Open Air / Tourist Class P800, Business Class P1000
+63(32)255 7560 / +63 (32) 255 0115 / 0917 638 0000
SuperCat (2GO) - departs 5:50-11AM, 3:45-5:25-8:15PM, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
P 500.00
+63 32 233 7000

Things to do, Places to go in Bohol

Chocolate Hills - this is a clustering of more than 1200 hills within a 50km² area. They range in height from 30-50 meters. What's unusual is their near-perfect conical shape resembling an individual chocolate chip. No one knows how they were formed. Entrance is P50/pax.
Tarsier Conservation Area - located Upper Bonbon, Loboc. The tarsiers are no longer being played at by tourists as circus props, but instead, visitors now view them in cordoned-off areas in their natural 6ha habitat. As they are territorial and nocturnal, they are predictable on where they can be viewed. P50/pax.
Alona Beach (Panglao) - Alona Beach is the tourist hub of Bohol. It has 1.5 kms of white sand beach lined-up by bars, hotels and restos. Alona is also the jump-off point for Balicasag Island, a world class dive destination.
Danao Adventure Park - located in Barangay Magtangtang, 72 kms (2 hours ride) from Tagbilaran. Adventure activities include river trekking, tyrolean traverse, rappelling, bouldering, rock climbing and ziplining.

Bohol Blogs

Bohol blogs