UP student bags top prize in London speaking contest with speech on overseas Pinoys

A third-year University of the Philippines student has bested six other young speakers from more than 50 countries to win the International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) Grand Final at the Royal Institution in London.

Johanne Jazmin Tan Jabines, 20, won the 38th iteration of the competition last week with a speech on overseas Filipinos, in line with the final's theme of "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."

Her fellow participants included Harpreet Singh from Hong Kong, Andrew Chanho Kim from Republic of Korea, Alison Ruth Cohen from the US, Xiong Ziqing from China, Kamel Ali Wehbe from Lebanon, and Markus Aksli from Estonia.

Prior to the finals, Jabines and her fellow grand finalists underwent a week of cultural exchange and public speaking contests with 51 other young speakers.

Alan Johnson, former Home Secretary and the Chair of Judges at the final, praised the young speakers for their eloquence, confidence and intelligence.

"I think that we have seen some of our future leaders and I'm enormously encouraged by that," Johnson said. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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Thumbnail courtesy of UP