Pinoy students top math tilts anew

MANILA, Philippines - Seven Filipino high school students got perfect scores and top awards in an Australian math and science competitions held via recently in the country via correspondence.

Julius Vincent Sy, a sophomore at St. Stephen’s High School, got a perfect score in the 2009 Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC), while Johanna Wileen Go of St. Jude Catholic School, Henry Jefferson Morco and Richard Milante of Chiang Kai Shek College, Timothy Augustus Ong of Xavier School, Elvis Jeremy Ayroso of Philippine Science High School (PSHS), and Ariana Benipayo of St. Paul College-Pasig all got perfect scores in the 2009 Rio Tinto Big Science Competition.    

Aside from Sy, three others won medals in the 2009 AMC, namely Seanne Ng of St. Jude Catholic School, Justin Edric Yturzaeta of Jubilee Christian Academy and Amiel Sy from PSHS.

The winners were awarded their medals and prizes by Sen. Peter Alan Cayetano and Dr. Peter Taylor, executive director of the Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT), at the Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza last Monday.

Also awarded during the ceremony were the winners of the 2009 Rio Tinto Big Science Competition, which was also administered in the country last June. The contest is held yearly by the AMT, Australian Science Innovations and Rio Tinto, a major Australian mining company.

Simon Chua, president of the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG), expressed pride over the performance of the Filipino students in both competitions.

Chua noted that Sy was one of only 20 students in the world who got perfect scores in the AMC. Sy received the Peter O’Halloran Certificate for his feat.

Besides the four AMC medalists, 10 other students garnered AMC awards: sisters Czarina and Audrey Celine Lao and Adrian Sy of St. Jude, Lormes Pedeglorio of Butuan City Special Education Center, Miguel Lorenzo Ildesa of PAREF-Westbridge, Aldric Cristoval Reyes of Chiang Kai Shek, John Russel Virata of Gideon Academy, Alvin Uy Lim of Quezon City Science High School, Emiliano Tan of PSHS, and Jake Gacuan of the University of the Philippines.

Forty-three students also won High Distinction certificates for being in the top two percent of examinees in their year levels.

In addition, 13 students were given the Prudence Award for getting the most number of correct answers in Question No. 1 of the contest.

Over 2,000 Filipino elementary and high school students participated in this year’s AMC.

Other countries that participated were Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Singapore, New Zealand and Thailand.

– Rainier Allan Ronda