Narrowing the field to two teams, the 2026 Banggianay semifinals concluded with Tribu Adlaw of the College of Arts and Sciences and Tribu Haliya of the College of Nursing advancing to the championship round.
The semifinals featured two debate matches under the Modified Oxford-Oregon format, each determining which team would advance to the finals.
Match 1: Tribu Adlaw outargues Tribu Dalikmata in a decisive showdown
Amid a contested exchange, Tribu Adlaw of the College of Arts and Sciences prevailed against Tribu Dalikmata of the College of PESCAR during the first match of the semifinals.
The teams debated around the motion “Let it be resolved that the Philippine Department of Education should implement mandatory reproductive health education.”
Opening for the affirmative, necessity speaker Joe Allen Marañon argued that mandatory reproductive health education (RHE) is a constitutional obligation, asserting that “we should not protect children from information, but protect children through information.”
The affirmative asserted that making reproductive health education mandatory ensures equal access to accurate information, protecting students from stigma and misinformation.
The negative side, Tribu Dalikmata, countered that mandating RHE fails to address deeper structural issues such as poverty, weak public services, and uneven implementation.
In rebuttal, the affirmative maintained that institutionalizing RHE enables accountability, regulation, and consistent delivery nationwide.
Match 2: Tribu Haliya outlasts Tribu Hanan in fiery clash of minds
In a heated round marked by sharp interpellations and repeated appeals for decorum, Tribu Haliya of the College of Nursing (CON) edged Tribu Hanan of the College of Education (COE) in the second match of the round.
The teams debated the motion, “Let it be resolved that government employees be allowed to directly engage in partisan election campaigns.”
Opening for the affirmative, necessity speaker Angelie Marie C. Garrido argued that existing civil service restrictions are overly broad, silencing rank-and-file government employees who possess no coercive power yet hold critical institutional knowledge.
The negative side, Tribu Hanan, warned that allowing partisan campaigning undermines state neutrality, politicizes public service delivery, and erodes the constitutional merit and fitness system.
In rebuttal, the affirmative argued that narrowly tailored regulations better protect against abuse while preserving political participation.
After clinching their semifinal win, Tribu Adlaw and Tribu Haliya will face off in the Championship round of this year’s iteration of Banggianay on January 30, where the champion will be determined.
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2026 University Days Special Coverage by WVSU Student Publications
Write-up by Tracy Anne Freires, The Courier
Photos by Cassandra Alexa Ciasico and April Diesmartis Macantan, The Courier
