4th grader 'President' bags top prize in Smarter Philippines contest

MANILA, Philippines - A trip to the gasoline station is what it took nine-year old Ephraim Lance Robles to come up with his winning entry for Ovaltine’s recently concluded Smarter Philippines contest.

Among ten chosen finalists, Ephraim Lance Robles, or Lance, a fourth grade elementary student at Jesus Reigns Christian Academy, emerged as the grand winner of Ovaltine’s online video contest, which encouraged kids to answer the question, “If I were the President of the Philippines, what is the first thing that I would do?”. Realizing the impact of rising oil prices on the daily lives of common Filipinos, Ephraim focused on curbing the prices of oil and electricity in the country. In his video entry, with the flag of the Philippines as his backdrop, Lance looked every bit the little president as he confidently talked about how he would help the country by utilizing its natural resources.

Lance keeps up-to-date with current events by watching the evening news with his family, and learning about socio-economic issues in his Sibika subject in school.

Lance received an educational trip to Thailand worth P100,000 and the honor of representing Ovaltine as its new ambassador.

The contest, which was opened to six- to ten-year old Filipino children late last year, gathered numerous entries across the country. Each finalist received P5,000 worth of school supplies and are guaranteed with one-year supply of Ovaltine products.

Ovaltine helps kids like Lance be smart with its unique Activ8 formulation of mind-enhancers such as Iron to promote good attention span, Iodine for proper mental functioning, Folic acid to enhance memory, and Zinc to improve cognition. Ovaltine believes a child’s proper nourishment and mind development are crucial in ensuring them, and eventually our country, of a bright future.