Baguio City Open 2023

Inside the Barangay Phil-Am Basketball Court, the sound of plastic pieces spinning at high velocity echoed across the hardwood as judges raised scorecards and runners moved steadily between scramblers and stations. It took a dedicated crew of organizers, delegates, and staff members working through an intense schedule to stage a full seven-event roster in a single day on January 21, 2023. Their coordination behind the scenes kept timing systems functioning and warm-up tables orderly, giving all 57 competitors a focused environment to test their skills at this memorable WCA competition.

The tournament drew enthusiasts from across the region to Baguio City, Philippines, testing everything from rapid short-format rounds to endurance big cubes. With nine rounds scheduled across the day, the logistical team kept the pace disciplined and fair for every entrant. Their dedication made the Baguio City Open 2023 a seamless showcase of local talent, proving how essential volunteer arbiters and organizers are in building a thriving tournament circuit for the national speedcubing community.

At the front of the three-round main event, the classic Rubik's Cube drew a massive 55-person field. When the final round wrapped up, the 3x3 results confirmed Toby Litiatco at the top of the table. Litiatco earned the championship with a winning average of 8.38 seconds, having dropped a sharp 7.34 single along the way. Jaybee Montecillo pushed hard to claim second place with an 8.80 average, while Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc secured third on the podium with a mark of 9.13.

Away from the main table, several participants posted remarkable personal breakthroughs that highlighted the depth of the roster. Clifford Orcales took on six events, finishing 9th in 5x5x5 Cube while producing a massive personal best of 1:00.40, which was 39 percent faster than his prior mark, alongside debut attempts in 7x7x7 Cube at 3:34.16 and 6x6x6 Cube at 2:04.59. Neil Joseph D. Prudencio tackled seven events, finishing 4th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging his first 6x6x6 Cube try in 2:41.91, his first 7x7x7 Cube attempt in 4:06.74, and an 8.8 percent improvement in 5x5x5 Cube with 1:08.81. Iñigo Zachary Enrile advanced his marks dramatically, chopping his 2x2x2 Cube personal record by 60.7 percent down to 3.73 while taking his 3x3x3 Cube best down 33.9 percent to 28.39. Jem Poon contested six events, registering debut times in 6x6x6 Cube at 5:42.58 and 7x7x7 Cube at 4:43.82, while improving his 2x2x2 Cube best by 16.4 percent to 3.12.

The personal milestones continued across the floor as athletes pushed their boundaries in new events. Kurt Rivera entered four events, posting a 12th-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube with a new personal best of 2.22 seconds that was 42.8 percent faster, while dropping his 6x6x6 Cube mark by 16.1 percent to 2:40.87 and his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 5.1 percent to 1:22.82. Fergus Matthew Austria earned a 7th-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube with a personal best of 30.62 seconds, 11.7 percent faster than before, while adding debut attempts of 4:12.88 in 7x7x7 Cube and 2:25.72 in 6x6x6 Cube. Zachary Ashton Insigne posted a 34 percent personal improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with 2.81 on his way to 26th place, paired with a 15.5 percent personal best in 3x3x3 Cube at 14.21. Leonardo Lee stepped up for his first official 2x2x2 Cube effort, recording a 3.55 single to finish 25th, and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube record by 8.8 percent to 13.77.

The 2x2x2 Cube battle saw Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc rise to victory with an average of 2.59 seconds, besting Christian Naguio who followed closely at 2.91. Yuji Yoshida rounded out the top trio in third place with a 3.34 average. Palisoc added another title in the 5x5x5 Cube, averaging 52.93 seconds to finish ahead of Richmond Mico Rigor at 55.44 and Naguio at 58.95, underscoring his consistency across multiple puzzle formats throughout the Baguio City Open 2023.

In the larger puzzles, Richmond Mico Rigor produced a commanding double victory. Rigor won the 4x4x4 Cube with an impressive average of 30.30 seconds, leading Naguio at 31.64 and Palisoc at 33.02. Rigor returned to the top in the 6x6x6 Cube, recording a winning average of 1:39.50. Palisoc followed in second at 1:47.77, while Dale Palmares took third place with a 1:51.19 average during a competitive afternoon of speed cubing.

The biggest cube of the meet saw Christian Naguio collect the top prize in the 7x7x7 Cube, putting together a winning average of 2:35.19. Louie Jay Quibote claimed second place with a time of 2:45.63, while Dale Palmares earned another podium finish with 2:47.19. The event concluded its program with the 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline, where Nicole Jnus Macalalad emerged victorious with a best single solve of 2:53.41, finishing ahead of Yuji Yoshida at 3:33.08 and John Paul Custodio at 5:28.77.

By the time the tournament drew to an end, the organizers and floor marshals had successfully delivered nine rounds of high-tempo competition in a single day. All 21 podium places were claimed by competitors representing the Philippines, highlighting the local depth present in the venue. The smooth execution of the Baguio City Open 2023 stands as a credit to the tireless efforts of its staff and leaves the regional cubing competition circuit in strong standing for the upcoming season.

Malamig ang simoy ng hangin sa Barangay Phil-Am Basketball Court ngunit mabilis na uminit ang paligid sa pagdagsa ng mga kalahok at manonood. Nagsimula ang araw sa tunog ng mga timer at ang mabilis na pag-ikot ng mga piyesa sa mga solving station. Ang lugar na karaniwang dinadausan ng mga lokal na laro ng basketball ay naging sentro ng bilis at talas ng isip para sa limampu't pitong manlalaro mula sa iba't ibang dako. Ang Baguio City Open 2023 ay nagbigay-daan upang maipamalas ang galing ng bawat isa sa pitong opisyal na kategorya ng World Cube Association sa iisang araw lamang.

Ang bawat kategorya ng Rubik's Cube ay may kanya-kanyang hamon, mula sa paggamit ng dalawang kamay hanggang sa mga espesyal na paraan ng paglutas na humihingi ng pambihirang kontrol sa mga daliri at masusing plano. Ang mga mekanismo ng mga puzzle ay nasubok habang ang bawat kalahok ay naghahanap ng pinakamainam na anggulo upang mapabilis ang kanilang pag-ikot. Sa buong siyam na rounds ng torneo sa Baguio City, Philippines noong January 21, 2023, naging malinaw na ang disiplina sa paghawak at estratehiya ang nagdidikta ng magiging resulta sa bawat pagsubok.

Sa pangunahing kategorya ng 3x3x3 Cube, ipinamalas ni Toby Litiatco ang kanyang husay laban sa limampu't limang katunggali sa loob ng tatlong rounds. Nagtala si Toby Litiatco ng nanalong average na 8.38 kasama ang pinakamabilis na single time na 7.34 sa pinal na laban upang sungkitin ang unang pwesto. Sumunod sa kanya si Jaybee Montecillo na nagtala ng average na 8.80 para sa ikalawang pwesto, habang nakuha naman ni Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc ang ikatlong pwesto sa kanyang average na 9.13. Ang labanan sa podium ay naging mahigpit hanggang sa huling solve ng kumpetisyon.

Hindi naman nagpahuli si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa iba pang mga kategorya ng paligsahan matapos niyang dominahin ang dalawang magkaibang dibisyon. Nasungkit niya ang tagumpay sa 2x2x2 Cube tangan ang winning average na 2.59 at best single na 2.20, kung saan pumangalawa si Christian Naguio sa 2.91 at pumangatlo si Yuji Yoshida sa 3.34. Nagwagi rin si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa 5x5x5 Cube na may winning average na 52.93 at single na 50.46, habang pumangalawa si Richmond Mico Rigor sa 55.44 at pumangatlo si Christian Naguio sa 58.95.

Sa mga mas malalaking puzzle, nagpakitang-gilas si Richmond Mico Rigor na nag-uwi ng dalawang titulo sa Baguio City Open 2023. Nagwagi siya sa 4x4x4 Cube na may winning average na 30.30 at best single na 27.89, kasunod sina Christian Naguio na may 31.64 at Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc na may 33.02. Nanguna rin si Richmond Mico Rigor sa 6x6x6 Cube sa kanyang winning average na 1:39.50 at single na 1:31.47, bago sumunod sina Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa 1:47.77 at Dale Palmares sa 1:51.19. Sa 7x7x7 Cube naman, naghari si Christian Naguio na may winning average na 2:35.19.

Sa likod ng mga nangungunang pwesto sa cubing competition, kapansin-pansin ang mga personal na tagumpay ng iba pang mga manlalaro sa torneo. Naitala ni Seth Raphael Lee ang 3x3x3 Cube personal best na 10.78, na mas mabilis ng 22.4 porsyento kaysa sa kanyang dating 13.90. Malaki rin ang ibinaba ng mga oras ni Damien Barquilla sa limang sinalihang events, kabilang ang 5x5x5 Cube personal best na 1:13.48 mula sa dating 1:27.32 na mas mabilis ng 15.8 porsyento, 6x6x6 Cube personal best na 2:22.71 mula sa 2:37.70 na mas mabilis ng 9.5 porsyento, at 7x7x7 Cube personal best na 3:40.15 mula sa 3:50.49 na mas mabilis ng 4.5 porsyento, kasabay ng kanyang ikawalong pwesto sa 7x7x7 Cube.

Sumabak naman sa anim na events si Iya Franzene L. Hufancia sa kanyang ika-38 na kumpetisyon, kung saan naitala niya ang kanyang unang pagsubok sa 6x6x6 Cube na may 2:36.87, unang pagsubok sa 7x7x7 Cube na may 4:43.61, at 5x5x5 Cube personal best na 1:11.89 mula sa 1:15.93 na mas mabilis ng 5.3 porsyento, habang nagtapos sa ika-12 na pwesto sa 6x6x6 Cube. Sa 2x2x2 Cube, naitala ni Pio Pineda ang kanyang unang opisyal na subok sa 13.02 sa kanyang dalawang kinalakihang events. Samantala, apat na kalahok ang nagtala ng kanilang unang WCA competition: si Noah So-Tiong na sumabak sa tatlong kategorya at nagtala ng 18.56 sa 3x3x3, 1:29.40 sa 4x4x4, at 4.28 sa 2x2x2; si Ayer Mackryss C. Genese na nagtala ng 12.17 sa 3x3x3 at 6.58 sa 2x2x2; si Raver Carlos na nagtala ng 5.44 sa 2x2x2 at 15.41 sa 3x3x3; at si Marcus Xander B. Lopez na nagtala ng 27.87 sa 3x3x3 at 6.50 sa 2x2x2.

Naging tampok din sa torneo ang 3x3x3 Blindfolded event na humihiling ng matinding konsentrasyon at memorya bago pa man simulan ang pag-ikot nang nakapiring. Pinatunayan ni Nicole Jnus Macalalad ang kanyang kahusayan sa pamamagitan ng pagtala ng pinakamabilis na winning single na 2:53.41 upang makuha ang unang pwesto. Pumangalawa si Yuji Yoshida sa kanyang single na 3:33.08 habang si John Paul Custodio ang pumangatlo na may 5:28.77. Ang bawat tagumpay at personal na tala sa Baguio City Open 2023 ay nagbigay ng panibagong sigla para sa komunidad ng speedcubing sa papalapit na mga hamon sa bagong panahon.