Should I focus on paying off debt or building savings first?

[Ja sa bong]

If you're faced with a very serious debt that needs to me paid off because it have been a while the debts have pilled up, do you make paying off the debt a priority or do you focus on saving up money first before paying off the debt? 

What's the best strategy to work with in this situation? Would it be paying off debt or building savings first?