Castro, Romero rule Pangasinan chess

MANILA, Philippines - Jose Carlo Castro and Gladys Hazelle Romero of Far Eastern University won the centerpiece events of the just-ended 2013 National Age Group chess championships at the Pangasinan Training and Development Center in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

Castro, a third year high school student of FEU-Fern in Quezon City, scored five points in six rounds to win the boys’ Under-20 division. He defeated teammate Dave Patrick Dulay in the final round.

Romero, on the other hand, won her first four assignments before splitting the point with Karen Enriquez and Brena Mae Membrere to claim the girls’ Under-20.

Other winners in the event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and sponsored by Rep. Neri Colmenares and Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel  were Antonio Almodal III (Boys U-16), Eric Robert Yap (Boys U-14), Emmanuel Van Paler (Boys U-12), John Ruiz Bravo (Boys U-10), Darwin Villanueva Jr. (Boys U-8), Merlene Membrere (Girls U-16), Samantha Glo Revita (Girls U-14), Holythurs Mariel Pangan (Girls U-12), Ma. Elayza Villa (Girls U-10) and Jocelyn Reyes (Girls U-8).

In his closing remarks, provincial administrator Rafael Baraan, representing Gov. Amado Espino Jr., invited the participants to revisit Pangasinan.