Two Filipino speed cubers made their presence felt against some of the region’s best, delivering podium finishes at the recently-concluded Malaysia National Speed Cubing Championship presented by the Asian Mind Sports Association at Sunway Velocity in Kuala Lumpur.

Brenton Angelo Lo Wong, regarded as one of the Philippines’ leading speedcubers, and fast-rising 12-year-old Juan Miguel “Uno” Magallanes turned in impressive performances in their respective events, highlighting the growing strength of Philippine speedcubing on the international stage.

Wong, 20, a junior Business Marketing student at Ateneo de Manila University, clocked 5.634 seconds to secure the silver medal in the 3x3 main event, a result that further strengthened his standing as one of the country’s premier speedcubers.

“I’m very thankful for God’s guidance and for the support of my parents and sponsors. It was a tough competition, with more than 100 players from around the region,” said Wong, who also captured his second Philippine National Speed Cubing title last July.

Magallanes, meanwhile, ruled the 2x2 event with a winning time of 1.06 seconds and an average of 1.47 seconds. He also finished runner-up in the 3x3 event, posting a 4.48-second single and a 6.45-second average, as well as in the 3x3 One-Handed event.

“When I started cubing almost three years ago, I was just happy getting sub-20 in 3x3 and sub-5 in 2x2,” Magallanes said.

“Looking back, I think one of the biggest lessons cubing has taught me is that you don’t always realize how far you’ve come until you stop and look back at where you started. What once felt impossible can slowly become reality when you keep practicing, keep learning and most importantly, keep showing up.”

Wong and Magallanes also teamed up with Malaysian speedcuber Tee Kai Yang to capture the team relay championship for Team BTJ, adding another highlight to their successful campaign.

Wong said their performance in Malaysia is also part of their bigger goal of inspiring more young Filipinos to take up speedcubing and compete internationally.

“After this campaign with Uno, I hope we continue to inspire young Filipino athletes,” he said.

“Under the leadership of the newly formed National League of Mind Sports in the Philippines, I firmly believe we can produce many more talents competing abroad.”