Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo bested other top senior players in the tournament to get the coveted award.
Urbiztondo is also on the National Chess Federation of the Philippines' board of directors.
In a Facebook post, Urbiztondo recently said another big chess tournament would happen in Misamis Oriental in July.
Urbiztondo also said that more big chess tournaments are coming to Mindanao in 2023. (Romeo Braceros Jr.)