The Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines (IIEE) held an open rapid chess tournament in EIC Convention Center Cebu on July 25, 2025 during its 24th IIEE Eastern Visayas Regional Conference (ECVRC). In photo are, from left, IIEE Cebu team captain Kaypee Aldous Cale (with cap), Tournament Director Edmar Quirante, 5 former IIEE National Presidents Lyndon Bague, Rodrigo Pecolera, Noel Fernandez, Allan Alvarez and Feliciano Padua III, National Arbiters Ed Vincent Lepalam and Kevin Yap.
Loreto Albert Lacaron captured the IIEE ECVR championship undefeated with 6 points in this 7-round swiss 15+3 time control. He won his match with 2nd placer Alberto Acabo who also had 6 points.
Taking 3rd to 5th place respectively were Jesse Tan, Kaypee Aldous Cale and Patrick Palconit who took the last prize money spot with better tie breaks against Arvin Loy-A Pamalaran and Dante Lendio.
The tournament was supervised by NA Kevin Yap and NA Ed Vincent Lepalam with tournament director Edmar Quirante. The successful event of the ECVRC was made possible by the IIEE Cebu Chapter President Marcelo Canitan and ECVR Governor Erwin Salvador.
Lacaron, Cale and Palconit will represent the region in the upcoming IIEE Golden Sports Inter-Island Qualifier on September 13, 2025 at Koten. They will be joined in this September event by the 3×3 ECVR Basketball Champion Bohol composed of Roland Gabo, Dennis Inlajusta, Adrian Apostol and Dave J. Pojadas who won versus Cebu, 22-14.
IM Chito bags IIEE Castle in the storm in Manila
Meanwhile, on the onslaught of Typhoons in Metro Manila, the IIEE Bayanihan conducted a mini-tournament dubbed as Castle in the Storm last July 24, 2025 at IIEE Building in Cubao. International Master Chito Garma captured the championship with perfect 6 wins against National Master Romeo Alcodia, Ayesha Guanzon, Jose Piff Caumban, Jerry Areque, Ronaldo Donasco and Jeremy Marticio who was the runner up of the Armageddon double knockout tournament.
Last July 5, 2025 the IIEE Metro Central Chapter (MCC) captured the Metro Manila Region championship 5×5 team chess tournament held also in IIEE Building. Metro East and Metro west placed 2nd and 3rd respectively. All five boards were topped by IIEE MCC players with Randy Turreda on board 1, Julian Paul Querubin on board 2, Dion Urbina on board 3, Ronald Donasco on board 4 and Evaristo Tizon on board 5. The reserved or board 6 was topped by Samuel Zantua of IIEE Metro West.
In the online chess, IIEE chessmaster is gunning to be on rank 10th in the World with another game in Bundesliga on Monday 2am via Lichess.
In the IIEE National Olympiad Season 7, after 4 rounds, the only unbeaten team are the IIEE Singapore and the Filipino Chess player League (FCPL) Qatar. They will face-off on round 5 in level 1 on August 1, 2025 together with Faeldonia Chess Philippines and Mapua.
IIEE Singapore, who won the PTC World Engineering Day Chess Tournament last March 2025, is the favorite with their players including among others, FM Julius Joseph De Ramos, FM Alekhine Nouri, FM Mark Jay Bacojo, FM Christian Gian Karlo Arca, FM Nelson Mariano III, CM Jayson Visca, AIM Mark Oliver S. Ingcad, Mark James Marcellana, Gerald Lumberio, Jeffrey Vegas, Adrian Esteva, Andres Bautista, Jeofrey Ampo Sr., Leonard Raymond Reyes and the Reyes brothers FM Narquingden, Narquingel, Mark Gerald and Chester Neil Reyes. FCPL Qatar has GM Darwin Laylo, FM David Elorta, NM Bob Jones Liwagon, AGM Rolenson Loyola, Bong Manaloto, Narciso Gumila Jr., AIM John Tia and AFM Don Henry Naperi, among others. Mapua is led by IM Idelfonso Datu together with IM Michael Concio Jr., Bren Sasot, Jhulo Goloran, Chin Lim, Kelly Rancap, Alexsis Enrico Jacinto, NM Rhobel Legaspi, Kevin Arquero, Don Tyrone Delos Santos, Sherwin Tiu, Jay Arcenal, Jon Pastorizo, Michael Angelo Palma and Norman Madariaga.
The Faeldonia team of Geodetic Engr. Ernie, with his sons Jasper and Jerick, and other reliable are Sohaile Amatonding Sr., Joel Obogne, Leo Miraña, Napoleon Piores, Mark Del Rosario and Alvin Ping. After round 5, the 20 teams will be down into sweet 16 teams who will play for another 5 rounds of elimination.
All of the above events were supported by IIEE Golden Sports Committee headed by Chairman Menandro Lim and Vice Ervin Fernandez with adviser Allan Alvarez, 2021 IIEE National President. Sponsors includes Hypertech, Emerald, Philflex, Koten, Switch, FELCO, Prisma, Weichai, FR3, Arizona Integrated Technology, Coulomb Energy, BMJE, T’sys Industrial Control, Pazifik Power and Pocari Sweat.-Marlon Bernardino-