A GRADE V pupil from Apayao became the latest toast of the chess community after she bagged a gold and a silver medal in the 16th ASEAN + Age Group Chess Championship.
Nine-year-old Mhage Gerriahlou Sebastian, who hails from Flora town, won the standard category and was runner-up in the team category in the Singapore meet.
Sebastian's feat earned her an outright Woman Candidate Master (WCM) classification, the youngest Filipino to receive the honor.
The Philippines finished second overall behind Vietnam which had 18 golds, 19 silvers and 16 bronzes. India was third with 6-2-1, followed by Singapore (4-2-5), Mongolia (3-1-9), Indonesia (2-2-3), Malaysia (1-2-1), Myanmar (1-1-0), China (1-1-0), Nepal (0-1-1), New Zealand (0-1-0) and Thailand (0-0-1).
Sebastian, whose mother is from Ilocos Norte, is considered one the brightest chess players in the north and has represented the country in several age group championships. (Roderick Osis)