IT took a ‘wonder boy’ from the landlocked province of Bukidnon to put Baguio City on the golden map of the recently concluded 2025 Batang Pinoy National Chess Finals in General Santos City.
And it wasn’t just a single win, but a remarkable haul of two gold medals, plus a silver and a bronze, for Sebastian ‘Sebseb’ Damonsong in the 12-under boys category.
The highly energetic Damonsong, known for his difficulty sitting still at the board — often making face and body movements — displayed his true potential when he topped the standard chess event.
His victory delivered the Summer Capital of the Philippines its first-ever Batang Pinoy chess gold.
Damonsong secured the win at the expense of his former contemporary in Northern Mindanao chess, Miykael Jerahmiel Lapad of Misamis Oriental, a three-gold winner from Laguindingan town.
Damonsong was initially at a disadvantage, but a slight miscue by Lapad was all he needed to clinch the crowning glory.
After slowing down in the subsequent events, Damonsong returned with another golden finish in the Fischer random 960 blitz.
He had earlier picked up a silver in the normal blitz and a bronze in the rapid 960.
Damonsong’s father, Oliver, a strong chess player himself, told Gold Star Daily that his only son’s transfer to Baguio was not for a scholarship, but to honor the legacy of his biological mother’s grandparents, who are native residents of Baguio.
Sebastian was born in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. He began playing chess when his mother, Mayflor Camdas Baguio, convinced her husband, Oliver Luza Damonsong, to teach the younger Damonsong the basic fundamentals of the 64-square-board game.
As an excited beginner, Damonsong joined the weekly tournaments spearheaded by the Malaybalay City Chess Club starting in May 2022.
He was then exposed to regular youth-oriented chess events by the Golden Chess Friends (GCF), founded by Cagayan de Oro-based businessman and now Arena Fide Master Benoni ‘Benwabs’ Wabe, around Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, and even Bukidnon.
The rest, as pundits say, is history.
“Sebseb is not even a scholar student through sports in Baguio, but is now studying at Easter College Baguio City since year 2024 at the expense of our hard-earned earnings because Baguio City is the roots of his lola Olive Camdas Baguio,” Oliver said.
Like Lapad and the rest of the promising chess kids in Northern Mindanao, Sebastian Damonsong is an organic product, a chess talent honed by the continuously evolving GCF, reinforced by the chess trainers, coaches, arbiters, and chess-loving entrepreneurs and professionals in the City of Gold.
“That’s why very thankful and grateful gyod mi sa GCF people like Benwabs (Wabe), Arvz Calido and Bobby Salomon kay developed gyod sa chess among anak,” said Oliver, adding, “Sebseb may have transferred in Baguio but he will always be a chess talent born in Bukidnon and raised in chess in Cagayan de Oro through the GCF’s ever lasting legacy.”
