Filipino student scores perfect in 2012 Australian Mathematics Competition

MANILA, Philippines — By garnering a perfect score, Farrell Eldrian Wu, a high school freshman from the MGC New Life Christian Academy in Taguig City, has aced the 2012 Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC).

This was announced on Sunday by the University of Canberra-based Australian Mathematics Trust, which has been conducting the annual AMC since 1976.

Wu, 12, a mainstay of the Philippine math team, was one of only two students worldwide who scored 100 percent in this year’s AMC, said the AMT in an e-mail to its local partner, the non-government Mathematics Trainers’ Guild-Philippines (MTG).

The other perfect scorer, Bernard Teo Zhi Yi, is from Singapore.

Last year, Wu was one of 60 Filipino students who were among the “Top 2 Percent” of over 300,000 students in 40 countries worldwide who took part in the correspondence-type contest.

In July, Wu was one of the five Philippine gold medalists in the Taiwan International Mathematics Competition. In July 2011, he won the country’s lone gold medal in the 14th Primary Math World Contest in Hong Kong.

This year, more than 400,000 students worldwide — including 3,617 from the Philippines — competed in the AMC. The MTG administered the Philippine contest on Aug. 2.

Eleven other Filipino students scored “99-plus” in the 2012 edition of the AMC. They were Andrew Brandon Ong from Chiang Kai Shek College; John Thomas Chuatak and Matthew Eric Tan, both from St. Stephen’s High School; Justin Yturzaeta from Jubillee Christian Academy; Bryce Ainsley Sanchez, Deany Hendrick Cheng and Shaquille Wyan Que, all from Grace Christian College; Eion Chua from MGC New Life Christian Academy; Dion Stephan Ong from Ateneo de Manila University; Patrick Niño Policarpio from Greenpark Montessori Learning Center; and Christian Philip Gelera from the UP Integrated School.

Sixty-one other contestants from the Philippines scored 99 percent. Among them was Adrian Reginald Sy from St. Jude Catholic School, who was one of only 27 students worldwide who scored 100 percent in last year’s AMC.

Other 99-percent scorers were Clyde Wesley Ang and Trisha Danielle Sia, both from Chiang Kai Shek College; Martin Lewis Koa and Ma. Czarina Angela Lao, both from St. Jude Catholic School; Ezekiel Christian Ong from UNO High School; Kaye Janelle Yao from Grace Christian College; Jervis Chua from Philippine Cultural College; Kaizen Naquita from SPED Integrated School-Iloilo; Jacob Peralta and Juan Pablo Abola, both from PAREF Southridge School; John Henry Marquez from UP Integrated School; Kyle Patrick Dulay from Philippine Science High School; and Jonn Angel Aranas and Raymond Joseph Fadri, both from Makati Science High School; and Jan Joshua Cruz from Pasig Catholic School, among others.

Dr. Peter Taylor, AMT director, is set to arrive in Manila on Oct. 17 to award the medals of the Filipino numbers aces.

In 1976, the AMT limited the first AMC to Australian students. Two years later, students from New Zealand were allowed to join the contest.

Since 2005, the AMC has spread to 40 countries worldwide, including the Philippines.

The contest paper consists of 30 multiple choice questions, which are ordered in increasing difficulty. In the AMC, students are given 75 minutes to solve the problems, which cover arithmetic, algebra, geometry and problem solving.

Dr. Simon Chua, MTG president, noted Filipino numbers aces “continue to do very well in the AMC.”