Pangasinan Grade 7 class has 7 sets of twins

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines  – Teacher Fershale calls them the “Lucky 7 in Grade 7.”

Seven sets of twins who belong to one junior high school class at the government-run Pangasinan School of Arts and Trade (PSAT) here are becoming darlings of the press and attention-grabbers among their schoolmates.

The twins – Lyrica and Lyrian Tiangson, Caroline and Kimberly Vinluan, Aldrin and Alvin Gonzales, Christer and Christian Lim, Jan Kian and Jan Rian Tan, James Christian and James Christopher Rapiz, Anthony John and Anthony Jay Caronongan – are among 61 students in the Grade 7 Section Jack class under Belen.

Belen told The STAR the other day that she learned about having seven sets of twins in her class only three days before the start of the new school year last June 5.

Their names were highlighted with colored pen, which made her curious.

On their first day in school, the twins sat beside each other.

“I was a bit confused in the beginning,” Belen said. “They were identical.”

She later put them two or three seats away from their respective twin brother/sister for easier recognition, she said.

They wear the same clothes but sometimes, different color shoes.

“So, sometimes, I look at their shoes, or sometimes I am able to know who is who with their birthmarks, or if one has longer hair, or is taller than the other,” she said. “Their classmates were amazed.”

Belen also asked her students to wear name tags.

The twins finished their primary education in different elementary schools near their respective residences. The Tiangsons are from Pangapisan, Lingayen; the Vinluans, from Malindong, Binmaley; the Gonzaleses, from Maramba Blvd, Lingayen; the Lims, from Baay, Lingayen; the Tans, from Aplaya in Pangapisan; the Rapizes, from Bañaga, Bugallon; and the Caronongans from San Isidro Norte, Binmaley.

They said they were all happy when they learned that there would be seven sets of twins in their class.

Most of them said they chose to study at PSAT because of the influence of their cousins, siblings or parents.

They added there is no competition with their respective twin and each is good in different subject areas.

Different wishes

They also wish for different things in life.

For instance, Lyrica wants to be a chef while her twin Lyrian wants to be a cosmetologist.

Others also want professions different from their twin.

But both Aldrin and Alvin want to be police officers someday.

The Caronongans said they also have twin uncles.

The Lucky 7, however, said they do not believe that when their twin sister or brother is sick, they also become ill.

“Nagkakahawaan na lang (We just get infected by the other),” they said in jest.

Shot at Guinness?

Their school principal, Ferdinand Bravo, said having seven sets of twins in one class is in itself unique and amazing.

“Maybe, we could land a Guinness World Records title for this,” he said.

Reporters have been seeking appointments for interview at PSAT with the “Lucky 7 in Grade 7.”