Marikina City ReMINX II 2025

Karl Abarquez delivered a commanding performance at Marikina Greenheights Phase 3 Covered Court, claiming victory across three separate events highlighted by an 8.85 second average to secure top honours in the 3x3x3 Cube. The single-day WCA competition brought 35 competitors together in Marikina City, Philippines on December 7, 2025, demanding absolute focus through 11 rounds of intense tournament action. Abarquez paired his classic speedcubing win with first-place finishes in both Clock and Skewb, establishing his authority across diverse puzzle formats.

The fight for qualification through the 3x3x3 Cube rounds underscored the intense depth of the local lineup. With 34 competitors aiming for a spot in the concluding round, securing advancement proved to be a challenging assignment. Abarquez faced stiff resistance on the final podium from Kat Gonzalez, who took second place with a 9.08 second average, and Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes, who claimed third place with a 9.15 second mark. The closely clustered 3x3 results demonstrated how little room for error existed in Marikina City.

In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes stepped to the forefront of a 25-player field. Requiring precise finger dexterity with just a single hand, the single-round contest concluded with Magallanes posting a winning average of 12.75 seconds alongside a best single of 10.19 seconds. Kat Gonzalez earned another podium position by finishing second with a 13.40 average, while Jacob Miko Tan took third place with a 15.90 average in a competitive display of one-handed speed cubing.

The 12-sided Megaminx provided a marathon challenge for 17 competitors across two rounds of play. Psyron Eubert Catral earned the title with a winning average of 53.97 seconds and a best single of 51.82 seconds. The podium battle was closely fought, with Yuji Yoshida capturing second place in 55.46 seconds and Karl Abarquez adding to his haul of medals by taking third place with a 56.51 second average. The intricate face turns required unrelenting concentration across both preliminary and final stages.

Fast-paced mechanical puzzles continued the high energy of Marikina City ReMINX II 2025. In the Clock event, Karl Abarquez delivered a 4.31 second winning average, outperforming second-place Javier Ignacio at 5.49 seconds and third-place Psyron Eubert Catral at 5.89 seconds. Abarquez returned to the top step in Skewb, averaging 3.06 seconds to edge out Ignacio at 3.24 seconds and Ivan Keith Cariaga at 3.29 seconds. The Pyraminx contest rounded out the specialty events, where James Certeza posted a 2.64 second winning average ahead of Gonzalez at 3.68 and Jolo Endona at 3.79 seconds.

Beyond the championship trophies, the cubing competition served as a proving ground for several rising solvers who achieved major milestones. Aira Arwin Cangsuy Cheng made the largest single-event jump of the day, recording a Pyraminx personal best of 14.97 seconds that improved on her previous best of 30.74 seconds by 51.3 percent. Carl Angelo Araya took on two events and cut 45.2 percent off his Skewb standard with a new mark of 7.20 seconds, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 15.36 seconds. Zion Wyatt Rentillo Catalan tackled all six disciplines, securing a best finish of fifth in Clock while dropping his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 32.6 percent to 16.92 seconds, lowering his Megaminx best by 8.9 percent to 1:22.29, and improving his Rubik's Cube best by 6.5 percent to 11.56 seconds. Jumuel Mathew B. Bucag posted a 27.2 percent improvement in 3x3x3 One-Handed with 24.69 seconds, improved his Megaminx standard by 25.8 percent to 2:22.72, and logged an 11.00 second 3x3x3 Cube best.

The depth of progress extended across new event debuts as well. Mikhail Gabriel A. Tan competed in two disciplines, achieving a 22.5 percent reduction on his 3x3x3 One-Handed time to 31.54 seconds and a 22 percent cut on his 3x3x3 Cube time to 12.95 seconds. Seff Rylee Tilbe entered six events, claiming fourth place in Clock while taking 26.7 percent off his Megaminx best down to 1:37.81 and dropping his Pyraminx mark by 18.1 percent to 3.12 seconds. Yuan Matalog took on five disciplines and reached fourth place in the 3x3x3 Cube, highlighted by his first official attempt at Megaminx with a time of 1:04.25. John Kerby Bunag completed five events, securing 25th in 3x3x3 One-Handed while logging his first official attempts at Skewb in 9.40 seconds, 3x3x3 One-Handed in 44.13 seconds, and Clock in 1:31.10.

The single-day schedule of Marikina City ReMINX II 2025 drew a focused gathering of solvers who pushed standard times down across six official events. With all 18 podium positions claimed by competitors representing the Philippines, the tournament demonstrated the robust local talent pool active in the region. As the 2025 calendar moves forward, the sharp averages and breakthrough personal bests recorded at the covered court confirm the rising standard across every puzzle category.

Umapaw ang tensyon at sigla sa loob ng Marikina Greenheights Phase 3 Covered Court nang magtipon ang tatlumput limang kalahok upang harapin ang bawat yugto ng torneo. Sa bawat mesa, narinig ang mabilis na lagutok ng mga puzzle habang binibilang ang bawat milisegundo sa orasan. Ang Marikina City ReMINX II 2025 ay naglatag ng matinding labanan sa anim na magkakahiwalay na kategorya, kung saan bawat pagkakamali ay may katumbas na pagbagsak sa standing. Bago pa man naitala ang mga pinal na numero, ramdam na ang bigat ng bawat solve sa buong venue.

Naging sentro ng tagumpay si Karl Abarquez matapos niyang dominahin ang pangunahing 3x3x3 Cube event sa nasabing kompetisyon. Sa labanan ng tatlumput apat na kalahok sa dalawang rounds ng classic Rubik's Cube, nagtala si Abarquez ng winning average na 8.85 at best single na 8.16 upang sungkitin ang unang pwesto. Pumangalawa sa naturang podium si Kat Gonzalez na nagsumite ng average na 9.08, habang pumangatlo naman si Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes na nagtala ng 9.15 average sa isang dikitang bakbakan.

Hindi nagtapos doon ang dominasyon ni Karl Abarquez sa speedcubing showcase na ito. Humakot din siya ng gintong panalo sa Clock matapos magtala ng winning average na 4.31 at napakabilis na single na 2.63 laban kay Javier Ignacio na pumangalawa sa 5.49 at Psyron Eubert Catral na pumangatlo sa 5.89. Nadagdagan pa ang kanyang tagumpay nang manguna siya sa Skewb sa pamamagitan ng 3.06 winning average, kung saan tinalo niya sina Javier Ignacio na nagtala ng 3.24 at Ivan Keith Cariaga na may 3.29.

Sa ibang mga larangan ng torneo, nagpamalas din ng husay ang iba pang mga pambato ng bansa sa bawat round. Sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na nilahukan ng dalawamput limang manlalaro, inangkin ni Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes ang kampeonato tangan ang 12.75 average at 10.19 best single. Sumunod sa kanya si Kat Gonzalez na may 13.40 average para sa ikalawang pwesto, habang nakuha naman ni Jacob Miko Tan ang ikatlong pwesto sa pamamagitan ng kanyang 15.90 average.

Naging kapana-panabik din ang labanan sa mas komplikadong mga puzzle sa Marikina City ReMINX II 2025. Sa Megaminx, nagwagi si Psyron Eubert Catral na nagrehistro ng winning average na 53.97 at 51.82 best single upang pangunahan sina Yuji Yoshida na may 55.46 at Karl Abarquez na may 56.51. Samantala, sa Pyraminx naman ay pinatunayan ni James Certeza ang kanyang bilis nang magtala ng 2.64 winning average at 1.96 single, habang sumunod sa podium sina Kat Gonzalez na may 3.68 at Jolo Endona na may 3.79.

Sa likod ng mga nagwagi sa podium, nagpakitang-gilas ang ilang mga kalahok na nagtala ng malalaking personal na tagumpay sa kompetisyon. Si Joakim Hendrich Victorino na sumabak sa tatlong events ay nagtala ng ika-5 pwesto sa Megaminx kalakip ang bagong personal best na 55.89 na 3.6 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa dati, bukod sa kanyang 12.56 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 10.3 porsyentong pagbuti. Si James Michael R. Salise ay nagtapos sa ika-7 pwesto sa Megaminx at nagtala ng 17.87 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 13.1 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa kanyang dating 20.56. Nagbaba rin si Caleb John Tamis ng kanyang personal record sa Clock tungo sa 9.89 mula 11.04 na 10.4 porsyentong pag-angat upang makuha ang ika-10 pwesto sa limang kategoryang sinalihan, habang si Elyjah Andres ay nagtala ng 25.89 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 5.3 porsyentong mas mabilis sa kanyang dating marka.

Naging entablado rin ang paligsahan para sa mga sumabak sa kanilang unang WCA competition upang magtatag ng kanilang mga unang opisyal na marka. Si Bianca Florencio ay matagumpay na sumalang sa tatlong events kung saan naitala niya ang kanyang unang subok sa 3x3x3 Cube sa oras na 1:20.71, Clock sa 1:21.74, at Pyraminx sa 1:20.45. Gayundin si Light Elijah Mendoza na sumabak sa dalawang events at nagtala ng 19.52 sa Pyraminx at 40.34 sa 3x3x3 Cube. Sa kanilang unang sabak sa opisyal na entablado, nagrehistro si JanAegon C. Gloria ng 31.90 single sa 3x3x3 Cube habang si Xyton Ferb T. Asanza naman ay nagtala ng 25.59 single sa parehong kategorya.

Naging patunay ang buong araw ng Disyembre 7, 2025 sa Marikina City, Philippines na patuloy ang pag-usbong ng talento sa bawat cubing competition sa kapuluan. Ang labing-isang rounds na binuo sa anim na kategorya ay nagbigay-daan sa labing-walong podium finishes na pawang naiuwi ng mga pambato ng Pilipinas. Sa pagtatapos ng Marikina City ReMINX II 2025, ipinakita ng mga beterano at baguhan ang mataas na antas ng determinasyon bago maghanda para sa susunod na yugto ng mga paligsahan.