FEBRUARY STARTS YEAR-LONG PHILIPPINE SCRABBLE SEASON, BAGUIO HOSTS SECOND LEG

January 27, 2024 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY

The Philippine Scrabble scene takes off this weekend in Cebu even as Baguio awaits the second leg before the month ends. Players flock to Cebu for the 2024 Philippine National Scrabble Qualifying at the Robinson’s Galleria Cebu this
weekend which also serves as the kick off leg of the annual Philippine Scrabble Caravan. The Cebu leg will also see
the awards of national master title to players who earned enough rating points from the first PSC last year.

The 19th edition of the city’s longest running Scrabble tournament, the Panagbenga Scrabble Tournament,
meanwhile, is slated on February 24 and 25, during the height of the Baguio Flower Festival. The PST, which was
started in 1999, serves as the second leg of the caravan. It also serves as a celebration for 25 years of Baguio – Benguet Scrabble tournament experience.

The city and province serve as one of the major Scrabble destinations in the country with the Baguio Scrabble Championship in September 2003 which was a prelude to the city’s hosting of the National Scrabble Championship in 204 at SM City. From there, Baguio hosted some of the most memorable tournaments in the country including the US$8,000 Baguio Centennial Scrabble Tournament in September 2009.

“There will be two legs in Baguio,” announced United Scrabble Associations of the Philippines, Inc. (USAPI)
announced president Larry Serrano. The other is the Baguio Scrabble Tournament during the Charter Month in
September. The PST and BST are two of the country’s running tournaments which were cancelled only during the
pandemic years from 2020 until 2022.

“We are excited to host this year’s edition of the PST,” said Malou Coronacion, one of the driving forces in the Baguio-Benguet Scrabble scene. The PST will have the open division, the novice including college and the student categories. Cash prizes and trophies will be given to the winners.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN