Battle of the Brains was a Philippine

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 quiz show aired by Radio Philippines Network

Radio Philippines Network

Radio Philippines Network, Inc. is a broadcast television network in the Philippines co-owned by the Government Communications Group, Solar Entertainment Corporation, Far East Managers and Investors Inc., and private sectors. This station studios are located at Broadcast City, Old Balara, Capitol...

 from 1992 to 1999 (Years 1 through 7) and by the People's Television Network from 1999 to 2001 (Years 8 and 9). It was hosted for almost all episodes by David Celdran, with Chiqui Roa-Puno taking over in his absence. The show is primarily sponsored by Uniwide Sales, Inc. (a major budget retailer during the show's popularity) from Years 1 to 7, and by AMA Computer College for Years 8 and 9 before the show folded. The show was open to all elementary, high school and college students nationwide, but the majority of grand champions have come from Metro Manila.

Tournament Format

• Each season determines its elementary, high school, and college level champions in a single-elimination tournament with 4 rounds (called the Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Grand Finals). Only the top competitor advances to the next round.
• The Weekly and Quarterly Finals feature 4 competitors each, while the Monthly and Grand Finals each field 3 competitors. However, there have been exceptions to this for rounds prior to the Grand Finals.
• Each competing elementary and high school is represented by 2 contestants (except for elementary teams from Years 1 and 2, which fielded 3 students per team). The college rounds feature an individual representing the school, except from Years 8 onwards, when 2-man teams were adopted. Alternates were allowed for elementary and high school teams.
• In Year 9, the format for the college level was changed to the returning-champion format similar to Jeopardy!
  Jeopardy!
  Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
  
  . This time, 2-man teams competed, and the winner will return the next episode to face a new set of challengers until they lost.

Episode Format

• Competition in each level was composed of 30 questions in total, grouped into easy, average and difficult rounds (later revised to two rounds of 15 questions each). Each round involved an equal number of questions asked in the five subject areas Science, Mathematics, History, General Information, and Arts / Literature.
• The host read the question twice, and is given some freedom to paraphrase the question. Contestants may answer as soon as the question is first read.
• Contestants answered by buzzing in first, accompanied by a unique light and sound display. The rostra are rigged with a lockout buzzing system: contestants buzzing in late will not generate the light and sound display. After buzzing, the host acknowledged the school and were given 5 seconds to answer correctly (30 seconds for solving Math Problems). If not, they forfeit the question and the other teams are given the chance to answer, subject to the same time constraints. For each question given, a team may only attempt to answer once.
• A time constraint is also given for anybody to attempt to answer correctly. The host announced the correct question if nobody answered correctly.
• Points alloted for each question have varied, but generally the harder-category questions carry more points if answered correctly.
• In case of a tie for the winner, sudden-death questions were asked. The first team to answer correctly became the winner.
• The winner of each round prior to the Grand Finals had the opportunity to answer bonus questions, which were linked to a pattern board. In the 3-rings pattern board, the contestant chooses 1 of 3 rings to accomplish, with the questions in each ring having a common characteristic (such as all answers beginning with the same letter, or of people from a particular field). Rings with more questions are generally easier to answer per question, while rings with fewer questions are usually harder per question. Each question adds points to the total, while completing a ring merits extra prizes from show sponsors.
• Complaints against questions, which lead to score changes, are allowed during the actual taping of the show and are resolved. But the actual protestations are not shown on air: the host simply summarizes the complaint and explains the score change.

Eligibility Rules

• Any school recognized by the Philippine Department of Education, Culture, and Sports
  Department of Education (Philippines)
  The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
  
   was eligible to compete. It must field students who are enrolled at the school at the designated level at the time the taping season starts. It is unknown whether Philippine schools abroad (such as those established in the Middle East) were technically eligible.
• For the elementary and high school levels, 1 alternate may be designated, who will participate for the duration of the tournament once he or she is activated.
• For the elementary and high school levels, a school may be represented only once during the entire tournament. At the college level, a school may be represented as often as possible provided it has not yet reached the Grand Finals. Once a school makes the Grand Finals, other contestants from the same school will not be allowed to compete.
• As is common in televised academic quiz formats in the Philippines, which promote the 'give-chance-to-others' concept, an individual can become Grand Champion only once per level. This means that winning the elementary Grand Championship twice is not allowed, but winning 1 elementary Grand Championship and 1 high school Grand Championship is.

Venues

All rounds prior to the Grand Finals were recorded in Broadcast City

Broadcast City

Broadcast City is a television and radio broadcast center owned by the Philippine Government. It is located in Capitol Hills, Old Balara, Diliman, Quezon City. Broadcast City is the home of state-owned stations Radio Philippines Network, and Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation...

, Diliman, Quezon City (except for Year 8, where the Grand Finals were also held there). For Years 1 through 7 though, the Grand Finals were held at different auditoriums, including the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) (1997 ASEAN Invitational), UP Auditorium (Year 6), and Teatro Aguinaldo (Year 7).

Prizes

For all rounds prior to the Grand Finals, points earned were paid out in Philippine pesos for all contestants.

From Years 1 through 6, grand champions were awarded a 20% tax-deductible cash prize of:

• Elementary - P 500,000 total: P 300,000 for the students, P 100,000 for the school and P 100,000 for the coach;
• High School - P 600,000 total: P 400,000 for the students, P 100,000 for the school and P 100,000 for the coach;
• College - P 500,000 to the student.

In Years 7 and 8, most likely due to Uniwide Sales' financial troubles, this prize was paid P 100,000 in cash and the balance in kind.

From Years 1 through 7, all Grand Finalists were awarded plaques prior to the taping of the Grand Finals, with the eventual Grand Champion getting another trophy at the conclusion of the taping. In Year 8, certificates were given for each round win prior to the Grand Finals, and a Grand Champion trophy was given at the conclusion of the Grand Finals.

Special Editions/Portions

• Prior to the start of the year's elementary, high school, and college tournaments, the show sometimes airs Celebrity Editions, where 3 pairs, each composed of a television personality and a college contestant, compete in an episode. The Celebrity Edition is not part of any tournament format.
• In 1997, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of ASEAN, an ASEAN Invitational Battle of the Brains was conducted and aired on RPN 9, pitting the Year 5 Grand Champions against students from Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. The Philippine champions won at all levels.
• At one point in its existence, a Mind Master portion was added to the program, in which college graduates (some of which have previously competed as students) compete as individuals in a 2-competitor, returning-champion format. The winner gets to compete in the next episode until he or she is beaten. Leonardo Gapol (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila alumnus and Year ? college Grand Finalist) made a mark for his successive run of victories in this portion of the show. Mind Master was discontinued in Year 6.

Grand Champions

Season Number	Year Covered	Elementary Grand Champion	High School Grand Champion	College Grand Champion
1	1992–1993	Georgie Anne Liad Aimee Marie Alcera Javier Gil Montemayor Aurora Aragon Quezon Elementary School, Manila	Novito Magsino Froilan Mendoza Pasig Catholic College Pasig Catholic College Pasig Catholic College is a private sectarian college located at the heart of Pasig City, Philippines. It was founded in 1913 as a small school managed by the CICM Fathers headed by Fr. Rouse Stephen Cebreros inside the "convento" of the Immaculate Conception Parish...	Ferdinand Makalinao 1st Year Intarmed University of the Philippines Manila
2	1993–1994	John Paul Bayhon Patrick Libranda Faith Victory Mejor Colegio San Agustin, Biñan Colegio San Agustin, Biñan Colegio San Agustin – Biñan is a Catholic school owned and managed by the Augustinian Friars of the Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu in Biñan, Laguna, Philippines. Its primary and secondary education programs are accredited Level II by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and... , Laguna	Garry Ng Rommel Go St. Stephen's High School, Manila	Alfonso Gonzales III B.S. Applied Mathematics University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna
3	1994–1995	Germaine Lisa Ang Ellyson Ting Philippine Academy of Sakya, Quezon City	Paulo David Javier Joseph Joemer Perez San Jose Academy, Navotas	Richard Pante Polytechnic University of the Philippines Sta. Mesa, Manila
4	1995–1996	Ma. Ailil Alvarez Rosemarie Amodia St. Paul College of Parañaque	Mel Anthony Cruz Jasper Hendrick Cheng Chiang Kai Shek College Chiang Kai Shek College Chiang Kai Shek College is a Chinese-Filipino institution of higher learning founded by overseas Chinese-Filipinos, recognized by both the government of Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of China... , Manila	Joserizal Coteng 4th Year Physical Therapy University of Santo Tomas University of Santo Tomas The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the... , Manila
5	1996–1997	Mark Anthony Salud Anthony Jefferson Atienza Holy Rosary Academy, Sta. Rosa, Laguna	Marie Grace Mappala Ron Emil Castro Bloomfield Academy, Las Piñas	Pierre Cantillero B.S. Industrial Psychology Polytechnic University of the Philippines Sta. Mesa, Manila
6	1997–1998	La Salle Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila	Jose Roi Avena Rogaciano Pasion III Claret School of Quezon City Claret School of Quezon City The Claret School of Quezon City is a Catholic school for boys run by the Claretian Missionaries and established in June 1967. It was named after its patron saint, St. Anthony Mary Claret, who founded the Congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is located at Mahinhin...	Joseph Joemer Perez University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City
7	1998–1999	Lourdes School of Quezon City Lourdes School of Quezon City Lourdes School Quezon City is a private, Catholic educational institution owned and founded by the Capuchins in Quezon City, Philippines, beside the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. The school is also known by the acronym LSQC, which differentiates it from its sister school, Lourdes School...	Patrick Gerard de Guzman Neil Tristan Yabut Manila Science High School Manila Science High School Manila Science High School is the Pilot Science High School in the Philippines. It is located on Taft Avenue at the corner of Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila, and was established on October 1, 1963.- History :...	Ronald Bautista B.S. Electronics and Communications Engineering Computronix College (now Colegio de Dagupan Colegio de Dagupan Colegio de Dagupan is a private non-sectarian college located in Dagupan City, Philippines.-Computronix College:* December 22, 1992 - the school obtained college status registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and began offering Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering.* 1993 -... ), Dagupan, Pangasinan
8	1999–2000	?	?	Neil Tristan Yabut Stanley Kristoffer Cabrera VI 1st Year B.S. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and 1st Year B.S. Business Administration and Accountancy University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City
9	2000–2001	?	?	?

Records

• The Polytechnic University of the Philippines Sta. Mesa and the University of the Philippines Diliman boast the most number of Grand Champions, with 2 apiece.
• The Polytechnic University of the Philippines Sta. Mesa also have the most number of Grand Finalists (6: including Oliver Tungol (Year 1), Emman Simbulan (Year 4), Lingwi Valguna (Year 7), and ? (Year 8)). Their level of success in Battle of the Brains is partly due to the presence of the PUP Quizzers' Circle, a campus organization devoted to quizzing.
• For individuals, Neil Tristan Yabut has won the Grand Championship twice: at the Year 7 high school level and Year 8 college level. It is still to be confirmed whether Joseph Joemer Reyes (Year 3 high school Grand Champion) and Joseph Joemer Perez (Year 6 college Grand Champion) are the same person. No one has won all elementary, high school, and college championships.
• The Ramon Magsaysay High School team who competed in Year 5 featured Roselle Ambubuyog, the visually impaired student achiever. They made it as far as the ? Finals.
• All of the Year 5 Grand Champions also won their respective levels at the 1997 ASEAN Invitational.
• The Manila Science High School team who won the Year 7 Grand Championship set the record for the most points in an episode (11,000 points) during their weekly finals.