PH team tops int’l math contest in Indonesia

RP math team photo taken during the awarding ceremonies of the 2013 Asian Intercities Teenagers’ Mathematics Olympiad (AITMO), held on Dec. 29 in Sentul City, Bogor province in West Java, Indonesia.(Photo courtesy of the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines)

MANILA, Philippines—A group of mostly high school students from Metro Manila topped the just-ended 2013 Asian Intercities Teenagers’ Mathematics Olympiad held in West Java, Indonesia, the Inquirer learned Monday.

The news was relayed to the Inquirer by Dr. Simon Chua, president of the Mathematics Trainers’ Guild-Philippines (MTG) and head of the Philippine delegation to the 10-nation competition held Dec. 28.

The MTG trained the Filipino math wizards, who won three gold, four silver and one bronze medals, as well as eight merit awards, in the contest, Chua said.

“The Philippine math team has been declared overall champion by AITMO contest organizers here in Sentul City in Bogor province,” Chua said in his e-mail.

He cited the team for “another job well done,” noting “these kids and other team members have bagged a number of medals in about a dozen foreign math contests this year.”

The teams from Taiwan and Thailand placed second and third, respectively, Chua said.

Other countries represented in the contest were China, India, Bulgaria, Malaysia, Iran, Kazakstan, and host Indonesia.

The Philippines’ gold medals were won by Adrian Reginald Sy from St. Jude Catholic School in Manila; Clyde Wesley Ang from Chiang Kai Shek College, also in Manila; and Kelsey Lim Tiong Soon from Grace Christian College in Quezon City.

Sy, Ang and Lim, all mainstays of the country’s math team, scored 100 percent, 95 percent and 85 percent, respectively, in the individual competition.

The silver medalists were Nathaniel Joshua Balete from St. Stephen’s High School in Manila; Isabella Mae Tan from St. Jude Catholic School; Jose Alfonso Ignacio Mirabueno from Philippine Science High School-Davao and Ethan Riley Chan from Zamboanga Chong Hua High School in Zamboanga City.

The country’s lone bronze medal was won by Gene Go Jr. from Zamboanga Chong Hua High School.

The merit awardees were the following: Christopher Banzon from Makati Science High School; Matthew Angelo Isidro from St. Jude Catholic School; Jason Carlo Carranceja from Grace Christian College; Janine Michelle Yu from Philippine Institute of Quezon City; Terence Brian Tsai from Chiang Kai Shek College; Shawn Gabriel Cabanes and Xavier Jefferson Ray Go, both from Zamboanga Chong Hua High School, and Elijamin Wolfgang Claveria from Philippine Science High School-Quezon City.

The team members were scheduled to return to Manila on Monday night after a brief stopover in Jakarta.

The last AITMO was held two years ago in Kavre, Nepal, where the Philippines bagged a total of 16 medals, including five golds, placing second overall to Thailand. Bulgaria was third.