Meet Juan Miguel “UNO” Magallanes, a ten-year old student of La Salle Greenhills who is making a name in the world of Rubik’s Cube speedsolving.
He began competing in November 2023. In less than a year, he has gotten 41 medals so far and a Philippine National Record. Uno competes in the 2×2, 3×3 Rubik’s cube and other events. On June 15, 2024, at MnM Bulacan Speedcubing Open 2024, Uno set a national record of 0.77 seconds in solving a 2×2 Rubik’s cube, making him the fastest 2×2 Rubik’s Cube Single Solver in the Country.
His 3×3 speed is also impressive at 5.66 seconds – a feat he made at Urdaneta Speedcubing Open 2024 and placed him in the Top 14 in the Philippines 3×3 all-time rankings.
The boy is amazing. In less than a month, he taught himself how to play the piano using an app. He can now play pieces by Beethoven and Mozart. His other hobbies include reading, watching movies, coding, creating retro-style games and swimming.
But Uno’s number one passion is clearly cubing. Most weekends, you can find him accompanied by his mom, Kristine, at competitions around Metro Manila and the provinces. Cubing has taken Uno to Cebu, Bacolod, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Caloocan, Las Piñas and other cities.
Uno used to play football. “But he was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and asthma, hence he needed to stop playing football,” said his mom Kristine.
Gadgets, such as the cellphone and the tablet, were Uno’s another preoccupation. But that all changed when Uno asked his mom to buy him a 2×2 Rubik’s cube. “I remember the time my Mom was recovering from an illness. We were just home for a long time. I was looking for a hobby and asked my mom if she could get me my first Rubik’s cube, a 2x 2 Rubik’s cube,” said Uno.
Uno first solved the 2×2 cube without learning algorithms at that time. He asked for a 3×3 Rubik’s cube and began learning countless algorithms. He also tried puzzles of different shapes and sizes.
He found the activity a “fun mental challenge”. Whenever he solved one, he always tried to improve his personal best time. “What began as a hobby turned into a competitive passion through speedcubing competitions,” Uno said excitedly.
He practices daily and continues to learn new algorithms and improve his techniques.
“Ever since Uno got into speedcubing, he has become more focused, dedicated and disciplined,” said Kristine. “He has become more confident and eagerly takes on challenges,” she added.
The record and the medals are just the bonus to the traits, values and the camaraderie that Uno has gained through speedcubing. Kristine revealed that during the pandemic, Uno, an only child, was homeschooled and hardly socialized. “So being in the cubing community gives a him a lot of friends, both kids his age, teenage kids and even working ages who serve as his kuyas and ates,” said Kristine.
The support of his family, friends and school (La Salle Greenhills gave him a recognition.) inspires Uno to dream bigger. “In God’s perfect time, I aim for another national record and beat my own national record to a faster time,” said Uno. “And since we are talking about my dreams as a cuber, I’d say possibly an Asian record,” the young boy added with a laugh.
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