What started as an act of kindness has sprung into a community-wide effort as members of the Philippine chess fraternity are staging the CHESS for JAS Tournament at the NCCC Mall in Davao City on Sunday, July 26.
The charity chess event, spearheaded by Jessie Villasin, has drawn overwhelming support from individuals and businessmen – all hoping to utilize chess as a way to help a community in need.
The event is actually for the people of Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental, who are still reeling from the devastating effects of the recent earthquakes and floods.
One of the first to answer the call was Niel Dumlao, who pledged the initial ₱5,000 for the tournament’s Blitz Event. The side event was created to help the organizing committee raise funds to cover the expenses of staging the benefit competition.
The momentum continued with Eduard Sumergido, Engr. Russel Derecho and his 18-year-old entrepreneur son, Jeth Rafael, also contributing to raise the Blitz prize fund to ₱10,000.
Also lending support is Philippine Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Chairman Michael Angelo Ong Chua, a longtime advocate of community-based chess initiatives. Chua, whose company, PCWORX, has a branch in Davao, previously supported by the One Chess Movement: Chess the Red Cross Way project in Koronadal City and once again answered the call for another meaningful cause.
More than offering prize money and over-the-board competition, the CHESS for JAS Tournament seeks to demonstrate how the sport can unite people from different backgrounds in pursuit of a common goal. Organizers expressed their gratitude to the sponsors whose generosity transformed a simple idea into a full-fledged benefit tournament.
