FRESH off her national women’s chess championship and stint at the World Chess Olympiad, Cagayan de Oro’s Ruelle ‘Tawing’ Canino is no longer the young prodigy once dismissed for her age — she’s now a powerhouse in her own right.
Given another shot at the Batang Pinoy stage, the 17-under standout is expected to spark Cagayan de Oro’s campaign anew when the 2025 Batang Pinoy National Finals open on Oct. 25, in the hometown of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
Canino and the rest of the 186-athlete delegation from the ‘City of Gold’ arrived safely in General Santos City on Thursday, ready to take on the country’s best youth athletes across multiple sports.
Last year, Canino missed the Batang Pinoy action due to international tournaments that followed her stunning victory in the national women’s championship — a feat achieved at the expense of the Philippine team’s veterans.
“Tulo ka players ang nawala sa among lineup last year, pero dakong grasya kay naka balik among duha ka saligang nga babae,” Cagayan de Oro chess coach Jake Gonzales told Gold Star Daily.
Also returning to the roster is Woman National Master Lila Alyssa Seriña, who, like Canino, represented the country abroad during last year’s meet.
Now playing under the Far Eastern University banner and mentored by Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales, Canino once ruled the Batang Pinoy chess scene with dominating sweeps.
Her comeback — alongside Seriña and 15 other well-prepared woodpushers — firmly positions Cagayan de Oro as the team to beat in this year’s chess competition.
Gonzales said city sports chief Allby Cris Waga has joined the contingent in General Santos City to provide moral support as Team CDO also vies for medals in boxing, swimming, taekwondo, athletics, arnis, badminton, karatedo, sepak takraw, table tennis, and beach volleyball, among other sports.
He added that Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy has allocated more than P2 million for the city’s Batang Pinoy participation, with each athlete receiving a P10,800 allowance for the week-long meet that runs until Oct. 31.
