The University of San Carlos community and the USC Department of Pharmacy are proud to celebrate the impressive performance of our Pharmacy student debaters during the National Pharmacy Debate Competition 2026, organized by San Pedro College and held at Lyceum of the Philippines-Davao in Davao City on May 10 and 11, 2026.
Representing USC were third-year pharmacy students Mariel Lois Suico and Vinz Julius Requina, together with second-year pharmacy student Roxanne Kwong. The trio—competing as Team Zetakons—advanced to the final round after demonstrating strong analytical reasoning and persuasive argumentation in successive rounds of the competition.
In the championship round, the team debated the motion, “This house believes that Richard and Nicole should use preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to ensure their child is deaf.” The motion centered on the ethical implications of deliberately selecting an embryo with a genetic trait—in this case, deafness—challenging debaters to weigh parental autonomy, disability rights, and the boundaries of reproductive technology.
After a closely contested debate, the USC team finished as first runner-up by a narrow 3-2 adjudicator’s decision. In addition to their overall placement, all three team members earned individual awards for their outstanding performances throughout the competition. Mariel Lois Sucio was recognized as the 3rd Best Speaker, Roxanne Kwong as the 5th Best Speaker, and Vinz Julius Requina as the 7th Best Speaker
The team’s preparation was guided by coach Gea Abigail U. Ecoy, with full support from the USC Department of Pharmacy faculty. Although this was their first time joining as national debaters, they turned a week of rigorous training into a podium finish, marking USC’s triumphant return to the competition after a four-year hiatus.
“We did not expect to place at all, considering how intense the competition was and the fact that we were competing against experienced debaters. As first-time debaters competing on the national stage, we were simply hoping to do our best and learn from the experience. Meeting talented students from different pharmacy schools and exchanging ideas with them made the journey both enjoyable and rewarding,” Kwong shared as she reflected on the whole experience.
The National Pharmacy Debate Competition 2026 underscored that pharmacy education goes well beyond the hard sciences. USC’s strong finish demonstrated that pharmacy students are equipped not only with clinical expertise but also with the critical thinking and communication skills to engage and lead meaningful discourse on ethical, social, and professional issues surrounding healthcare.