By Hannah Kapauan | The Paulinian
Photos by Cyd Mondia | The Paulinian
INTRAMUROS, MANILA –Fourteen universities gathered at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Justo Albert Auditorium, to participate in the SMEC Ethics Bowl 2026, from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM on April 24, 2026. The theme of the event was “Spotlighting Values in the Global Ethics: Toward Achieving Sustainable Development,” and the participants were to engage in exploring a variety of moral cases and seeking the values of ethical improvement.
St. Paul University Manila representatives—Danielle R. Dizon from the College of Education and Liberal Arts, Francis Gabriel C. Garces from the College of Business and Management, Patricia Anne M. De La Merced from the College of Music and the Performing Arts, and Zachary Matthew D. De Lara from the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences—had prepared rigorously under the supervision of coaches, Ms. Jamie Marie Bianca P. Manuel and Ms. Carla Jennidy H. Mallari. Competing against 13 other universities, the team was ready to face the challenges of the event.
Registration was at 8:00 AM. The event began at 9:00 AM with the Invocation, followed by the National Anthem. The Opening Remarks were delivered by the President of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Atty. Domingo T. Reyes, who stated that we are now living in a world of uninvolved, self-interested, and entitled people. He continued, saying that he believed ethics, values, and virtues should remain a cornerstone of a just and humane society today, and that he hoped the youth would carry them into the future.
Afterwards, the mechanics and criteria for judging were presented by Prof. Haydee Claire Dy, Chairperson of the SMEC Ethics Committee. Following this, the Board of Judges was introduced—Dr. Albert M. Lagliva, Dr. Guillermo Reyes Dionisio, and Dr. Fleurdeliz R. Altez-Albela.
The event commenced with the first half of the preliminary round, in which the first seven group representatives were called on stage to randomly pick their cases.
After the first seven groups finished defending their cases, a lunch break was held. This was followed by the continuation of the event, in which the remaining seven teams debated on their cases. The SPUM team was called on stage as the 10th group, and were presented with Case 4, on the hierarchical system of global university rankings. After presenting their case, they beat the five-minute time limit during their Q&A with the judges.
When the preliminary round came to an end, a duet was sung by two PLM music students and two professors rendered a duet for violin and piano. After the short intermission, the judges announced the three teams that would proceed to the final round: from Adamson University, St. Scholastica’s College, and Philippine Christian University.
For the final round, the judges chose Case 3, on various violations of international rules. Recent incidents, such as Rodrigo Duterte’s infamous withdrawal from the International Criminal Court to escape prosecution for his war on drugs and US President Donald Trump’s threats against a NATO ally with invasion, were mentioned. The teams debated over how these major institutions violated established values.
At the end of the final round, the award ceremony took place, followed by a photoshoot.
The top three winners of the SMEC Ethics Bowl 2026 were announced. In third place was St. Scholastica’s College, followed by the 1st runner-up, Philippine Christian University. Adamson University won as the Grand Champion. Afterwards, the Best Speaker of each team was also awarded.
The event ended at 5:30 PM, with the SPUM team emerging as the winner in our hearts. Congratulations, SPUM team! Hats off to you for your wonderful performance!
