Luzon Championship 2025

A blistering 4.93 single and a 6.14 winning average in the final round of the 3x3x3 Cube delivered Brenton Angelo Lo Wong the marquee title at the Luzon Championship 2025. Over the two-day schedule on January 25 and 26, the venue at Robinsons Las Piñas inside Las Piñas City, Metro Manila, Philippines hosted 88 competitors contesting 16 separate events across 26 rounds. Wong stood atop the 85-player field in the main event, navigating three intense rounds of the classic Rubik's Cube to edge out Toby Litiatco and Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc in the definitive podium showdown.

Saturday opened the weekend program with high-volume qualification rounds and early tests across alternate formats. Competitors engaged in early phases of the speed cubing schedule, where Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc quickly established himself as a dominant presence in the larger cubes. Palisoc secured the 7x7x7 Cube title across two rounds with a 2:08.35 average and a 2:05.83 best single, while also claiming top honours in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:25.09 average and a 1:23.72 single. His multi-discipline consistency set a high standard from the competition's earliest sessions.

As the schedule progressed, specialized single-round formats delivered dramatic conclusions. Nicole Jnus Macalalad triumphed in Megaminx with a 40.91 average and a 35.75 single among 26 competitors. Francis Yuel B. Merced earned first place in Square-1 by recording an 11.93 average and an 8.88 single. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline, Gavriel Johann Arcilla solved without sight in 15.02 seconds to secure the victory over Marc Jason L. Laresma and Yeon Kyun Park, while several other competitors registered no-finish averages in the high-risk format.

The depth of the Luzon Championship 2025 was further highlighted by remarkable versatility from international entrant Yeon Kyun Park of Korea. Park accumulated five distinct event victories throughout the weekend, capturing the Skewb title with a 3.01 average, Clock with a 4.49 average, and 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a single of 28. Park also dominated the advanced memory events, winning the 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a 2:06.89 single and the 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a 4:24.20 single, overcoming the complex memorisation and execution demands required at this WCA competition.

Away from the top of the podiums, the official scorecards recorded remarkable milestones for dedicated competitors across the weekend. Jazdy Jale tackled seven events, logging first-time attempts in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:16.67 and Megaminx at 2:11.76, while producing a massive Skewb personal best of 3.50, which was 65.6 percent faster than their previous best mark of 10.16. Jorrelle Larkean M. Galoso entered six events, securing 15th in Clock with a first attempt of 7.40, alongside a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 2.36 that improved their previous record by 53.1 percent, and a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 47.96, an improvement of 32.1 percent.

Other competitors took on demanding multi-event schedules to achieve significant individual progression. Asher Kale S. Yson took on eight events, logging first-time marks in Megaminx at 5:19.74, Clock at 22.45, and 4x4x4 Cube at 3:10.67. Amynah Leia Villapando completed first attempts in Skewb at 13.15, the 3x3x3 Cube at 14.31, and the 2x2x2 Cube at 3.50 across five events. Dwight Anthonie R. Mactal finished 14th in Megaminx with a first official result of 1:29.11, adding debuts in Square-1 at 30.71 and the 6x6x6 Cube at 3:53.70. Maverine Sanchez handled twelve events, securing 12th in Pyraminx, a debut in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 62, a 7x7x7 Cube personal best of 6:10.53 that was 19.8 percent faster, and a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 27.86, which was 16.9 percent faster.

Sunday afternoon brought the decisive final rounds in the fast-paced side events. Isaiah Benedict S. Feria captured first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.21 average, holding off Aragon Martin Gonzales at 2.23 and James Kirschner of Australia at 2.46. Gonzales rebounded in Pyraminx, winning the two-round event with a 2.32 average and a 1.60 single across 53 entrants. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc secured another gold with an 11.20 average, narrowly besting Gonzales who finished on 11.23.

The premier big-cube finals closed out the schedule before the main event wrap-up. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Brenton Angelo Lo Wong took the victory with a 26.26 average ahead of Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc and Dale Palmares. Palisoc then answered in the 5x5x5 Cube, recording a 43.78 average to win ahead of Wong and Park. With podium places awarded across the board, the host nation Philippines earned 41 podium places, Korea captured 10, and Australia took 1 across the 16 contested categories.

The weekend concluded with the final 3x3 results, cementing the legacy of the Luzon Championship 2025 in the 2025 calendar. Brenton Angelo Lo Wong’s 6.14 average capped off two days of high-level speedcubing in Las Piñas City, highlighting the competitive depth present throughout the regional cubing competition scene as participants now look forward to the challenges of the next season.

Puno ng pananabik at tunog ng mga umiikot na mekanismo ang Robinsons Las Piñas sa pagbubukas ng entablado para sa speedcubing. Mula sa maagang pagpapatala hanggang sa pagsubok ng mga timer, kapansin-pansin ang halo ng kaba at sigla sa mukha ng mga kalahok na sumabak sa kanilang mga unang salang. Ang torneo na ginanap mula Enero 25 hanggang 26 sa Las Piñas City, Metro Manila, Philippines ay nagbigay ng pambihirang espasyo para sa komunidad ngayong 2025, kung saan bawat manlalaro ay nagdala ng kani-kanilang layunin at preparasyon.

Sa kabuuan, umabot sa 88 kalahok ang nagparehistro upang maglaban sa 16 na opisyal na kategorya na binubuo ng 26 na rounds. Ang Luzon Championship 2025 ay nagpakita ng malawak na hanay ng mga disiplina, mula sa tradisyunal na 3x3x3 Cube hanggang sa malalaking puzzle tulad ng 7x7x7 Cube at mga blindfolded events. Para sa marami, ang ganitong cubing competition ay higit pa sa labanan para sa medalya dahil ito ang pinakamagandang pagkakataon upang maranasan ang tunay na patimpalak sa ilalim ng mga patakaran ng WCA competition.

Kabilang sa mga nagpamalas ng malalaking hakbang sa kanilang rekord si Fredrich Ryan Crisostomo na sumali sa 3 kategorya at nagtala ng 5.86 personal best sa Pyraminx na 58.2 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa dating 14.03, bukod pa sa 5.51 sa 2x2x2 Cube na 53.4 porsyentong pag-angat mula 11.82, at 16.72 sa 3x3x3 Cube. Si Enzo Gocheco naman na may 2 kategoryang sinalihan ay nagtala ng 12.24 personal best sa 3x3x3 Cube mula sa dating 20.38 na 39.9 porsyentong bilis, kasabay ng kanyang unang opisyal na pagtatangka sa 2x2x2 Cube sa oras na 8.84. Hindi rin nagpahuli si Gabriel Angelo Unico sa 3 kategorya nang maabot ang 3.72 personal best sa 2x2x2 Cube na 37.8 porsyentong mas mabilis sa 5.98, 17.00 personal best sa 3x3x3 Cube mula 20.68, at unang opisyal na salang sa Pyraminx na may 8.33.

Nagpakitang-gilas din si Kart Immanuel Lara sa 3 kategorya matapos magtala ng 16.44 personal best sa 3x3x3 Cube na 35.4 porsyentong mas mabilis sa 25.43, 6.96 sa 2x2x2 Cube mula 8.90, at unang pagsubok sa Pyraminx sa markang 11.26. Sa 4 na kategoryang hinarap ni Wilson Gabriel Tungala, naitala niya ang kanyang mga unang opisyal na pagtatangka sa 2x2x2 Cube sa oras na 4.64 at sa 4x4x4 Cube sa 1:17.40, habang nagtala ng 41.80 personal best sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 10.4 porsyentong bilis mula 46.64. Samantala, buong giting na sumabak si Liam B. Rashid sa 6 na kategorya kung saan nakuha niya ang ika-35 puwesto sa Clock sa unang pagtatangka sa 42.34, kasabay ng 5.62 personal best sa 2x2x2 Cube na 20.6 porsyentong mas mabilis at 7.84 sa Pyraminx na 19.1 porsyentong pag-unlad.

Sa pangunahing kategorya ng Rubik's Cube, nakuha ni Brenton Angelo Lo Wong ang unang puwesto sa 3x3x3 Cube sa pamamagitan ng 6.14 winning average at pinakamabilis na single na 4.93 laban sa 85 katunggali sa loob ng 3 rounds. Pumangalawa si Toby Litiatco sa average na 6.72 habang pumangatlo si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa 7.67. Hindi lang doon nagtapos ang galing ni Brenton Angelo Lo Wong dahil pinangunahan din niya ang 4x4x4 Cube na may 26.26 winning average at 23.89 single, habang sumunod sina Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa 29.12 at Dale Palmares sa 31.61.

Naging napakahigpit din ng labanan sa 2x2x2 Cube kung saan nagwagi si Isaiah Benedict S. Feria na may winning average na 2.21 at single na 2.12 sa harap ng 76 kalahok. Pumangalawa si Aragon Martin Gonzales sa average na 2.23 habang pumangatlo ang kinatawan ng Australia na si James Kirschner sa 2.46. Nakabawi naman si Aragon Martin Gonzales sa Pyraminx nang sungkitin ang tagumpay tangan ang 2.32 winning average at 1.60 single laban sa 53 kalahok sa 2 rounds ng bakbakan.

Maraming kategorya ang pinatunayan ni Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc sa torneo. Bukod sa kanyang tagumpay sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na may 11.20 winning average laban kina Aragon Martin Gonzales na nagtala ng 11.23 at Kat Gonzalez na may 13.22, naghari rin siya sa mga malalaking cube. Naitala niya ang mga panalo sa 5x5x5 Cube sa average na 43.78, 6x6x6 Cube sa 1:25.09, at 7x7x7 Cube sa 2:08.35 upang kumpletuhin ang matagumpay na kampanya sa paligsahan.

Naging mabunga rin ang paglahok ng kinatawan ng Korea na si Yeon Kyun Park sa Luzon Championship 2025. Nagwagi siya sa Skewb sa pamamagitan ng 3.01 average, sa Clock sa 4.49 average, at sa 3x3x3 Fewest Moves na may 28 moves. Sa mga blindfolded events, nakuha rin niya ang unang puwesto sa 4x4x4 Blindfolded sa bilis na 2:06.89 at 5x5x5 Blindfolded sa 4:24.20. Sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded, pinangunahan ni Gavriel Johann Arcilla ang laban sa winning single na 15.02, habang nagtagumpay naman si Nicole Jnus Macalalad sa Megaminx sa average na 40.91 at si Francis Yuel B. Merced sa Square-1 sa 11.93 average.