Closap sees more tieups with Cepca as chess tourney against drugs gets underway in Cebu City 

Cepca President Engineer Jerry Maratas (left) and Closap Executive Director Gary Lao (right) make the ceremonial move of the CEPCA-CLOSAP Make a Move Against Drugs Open Chess Tournament at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. | Glendale Rosal

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association (Cepca) and City of Lapu-Lapu Office of Substance Abuse and Prevention (Closap) eye a stronger partnership in chess next year, following the massive participation of local chess players in the inaugural “Cepca-Closap Make a Move Against Drugs Open Chess Tournament,” at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022.

Closap Executive Director Gary Lao said that he was very optimistic that in 2023, they could finally sign a stronger partnership with Cepca, Cebu’s premier chess organization to strengthen their ties in promoting chess to everyone. 

“The mayor wanted to be here, pero daghan man kalihukan sa isla karon. Gusto unta niya nga makita pud ang susama niini nga event. Tan-aw gyud nako, naka ana ko nga dili lang basketball ang sport nga atong ipromote, kaning chess ato sad ipromote, kay daghan man diay kaayo daghan magduwa og chess,” said Lao. 

(The mayor wanted to be here, but there are many activities in the island now. He wanted to see this kind of event. The way I look at it, I told myself that basketball is not the only sport that we need to promote, we also need to promote chess, because there are many people who play chess.)

More partnerships

“So, hopefully, by next year, we will ink a partnership with Cepca, we will hold a bigger tournament adto nato buhaton sa Lapu-Lapu. Mananghid ko ana ni Mayor, kay among office we deal on drug surrenderers, pre-bargainers, we do rehabilitation, treatment, and counseling sa mga tawo nga naa kaniadto sa pikas nga dan nga nibalik na karon,” he said.

(So hopefully, by next year, we will ink a partnership with Cepca, we will hold a bigger tournament and we will hold it in Lapu-Lapu. I will ask permission to the mayor for that because in our office we deal with drug surrenderers, pre-bargainers, we do rehabilitation, ttreatment, and counseling to the people who were on the other side of the road before and had now returned to the right path.)

 “Mao na atong trabaho sa atong opisina sa Closap. I hope this activity nga atong gibuhat karong adlawa mao kini ang mahimong taytayan nato nga diin mapahibaw ug atong isangyaw nga mahimong venue sa mga kabatan-onan mahilayo sa drogas,” Lao said.

(That is the job of our office in Closap. I hope that this activity that we are doing today will become our bridge where we will announce and spread (our message against illegal drugs) and to become a venue for the youth to be taken away from drugs.)

130 chess players compete

A total of 130 chess players from all ages are currently competing in the tournament that features a nine-round Swiss system format. 

No less than International Master (IM) Joel Pimentel, National Master (NM) Merben Roque, NM Rogelio Enriquez Jr., Rommel Ganzon, Arnolito Cadiz, Richard Natividad, Mario Mangubat, Bonn Rainauld Tibod, Venancio Loyola, Allan Pason, and Bryle Arellano are currently competing in the tournament. 

Joining Lao during the opening ceremony was Cepca president, Jerry Maratas, who shares the same vision in strengthening their ties for the betterment of Cebu’s chess and raising awareness against drugs. 

In addition, Maratas was also happy to see Cebuano chess players getting back into action again in their second over-the-board tournament after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We are very happy sa Cepca nga nakita nato karon nabalik na jud ang chess, although nakahimo na ta ug over-the-board nga tournament earlier this year. Expect more and bigger tournaments in the future with Cepca,” said Maratas. 

(We are happy in Cepca to see now the return of chess, although we had already done an over-the-board tournament earlier this year. Expect more and bigger tournaments in the future with Cepca.)

Prizes, awards

The champion will take home P7,000, while the second placer gets P5,000, and P3,000 for the third placer. The fourth placer receives P2,000 and P1,500 for the fifth placer. 

The sixth to 10th placers will each pocket P1,000, while there are corresponding cash prizes for the 11th to 20th placers.

Also, there will be special awards with corresponding cash prizes for the top Cepcans, top kiddies, top female, top senior, and plenty more during the tournament.

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