Marinate the beef chuck roast cubes in the soy sauce and calamansi juice in a medium bowl for at least 15 minutes. Drain the beef, making sure to reserve the marinade for the stewing process later.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef pieces in batches until a deep brown crust forms on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes total, then transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.

In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes, scraping up the browned beef bits from the bottom of the pot, until the onions are translucent and fragrant.

Return the seared beef to the pot, then pour in the reserved marinade, tomato sauce, beef broth, star anise, and bay leaves. Stir everything to combine and bring the liquid to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 60 minutes, or until the beef is tender when pierced with a fork.

Stir in the brown sugar and add the quartered potatoes, pushing them down into the liquid. Cover and simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender and the sauce has thickened to a rich glaze.

Discard the bay leaves and star anise before serving. Ladle the hot beef asado generously over bowls of freshly steamed jasmine rice.