Pinoy woodpushers raise P300K for fight vs COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino chess players have banded together in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Philippine Executive Chess Association has raised around P300,000 when it held recently an online showdown between members from the Visayas and Mindanao against the National Capital Region and Luzon it dubbed “Chess vs Covid19.”

Included was the P70,000 donated by sports icon and Sen. Manny Pacquiao, himself an avid chesser who also competed in the two-day duel.

“We didn’t expect this to end up this big because the original plan is just to raise a small amount to help our indigenous fellow chess players,” said PECA president Fred Paez. “We’re thankful to all the people who helped.”

Viz-Min was heads above water over an overmatched NCR-Luzon squad with Jezz Lopez, a Pagadian City native who works for the Department of Education in Zamboanga del Sur, emerging the best scorer.

The United Queens Chess Club, a group of female woodpushers headed by Susan Neri, and International Master Ronald Dableo are also holding tournaments to raise money for various charity works.