PRIDE OF DAVAO CITY. International Master John Marvin Miciano competes in the online National Juniors Rapid Online Chess Championship on May 12 and 13, 2020. The 20-year-old pride of Davao City won the event to book ticket for the zonal qualifiers of the Asian Junior Rapid Online Chess Championship slated from May 26 to June 3. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – The family of International Master John Marvin Miciano looks forward to going back home to Davao City amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
This after his father, Johnny, shared to the Philippine News Agency on Saturday their struggles at their rented place in the Sampaloc district here amid the health crisis.
"Hindi kami lumalabas dito for more than two months na dahil dito sa Sampaloc marami ang positive. Ang mga kailangan naming pagkain at iba pa ay pinabibili lang namin dito sa staff ng unit na narentahan namin (We have never gone outside for more than two months already because here in Sampaloc there are many positive cases. We just ask the staff of the unit we are renting to buy us food and all that we need)," the older Miciano said through a text message.
Marvin Miciano and his family called their current residence their temporary home due to his schedules of flying to other countries to participate in chess tournaments.
However, Covid-19 prompted the indefinite postponement of such events due to travel restrictions.
"Dapat nga po pupunta siya noong March sa Vietnam tapos nitong April sa United Arab Emirates — sa Dubai tapos sa Sharjah — tapos sa May, dapat pupunta siya sa Hungary. Actually, the whole year, may schedule na siya (He was supposed to go to Vietnam last March and this April in United Arab Emirates — in Dubai and Sharjah afterward — then this May, he was supposed to go to Hungary. Actually, he already has a schedule for the whole year)," Johnny Miciano and wife Tess said in a separate interview last week.
With such events already called off, Marvin Miciano has been participating in online chess events locally and internationally.
Last week, the 20-year-old IM qualified for the zonal qualifiers of the Asian Junior Rapid Online Chess Championship by ruling the National Juniors Rapid Online Chess Championship.
He and runners-up IM Daniel Labog and Chester Neil Reyes will take on representatives from Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Mongolia, Thailand and Myanmar from May 26 to June 3 for one of three spots to the continental event.
But right now, Miciano's concern is returning home after he and his family got stuck in Manila due to the enhanced community quarantine imposed in the entire Luzon by President Rodrigo Duterte on March 16.
"Uuwi na po kami ng Davao via Clark last March 16 pero na-cancelled ng airline ang flight namin due to enhanced community quarantine in the entire Luzon and in Davao (We were supposed to return home in Davao via Clark last March 16, but the airline cancelled our flight due to the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon and in Davao)," Johnny Miciano said.
He also revealed that the current situation has taken a toll as well on his son's health since he has not received enough sunlight and air due to him staying indoor for so long.
Miciano's family is hopeful that they will be included in a sweeper flight that is being set up by the Davao City government that could bring them and other residents of the said city home. (PNA)
