PH wins International Math Contest

PH wins International Math Contest By Jonathan M. Hicap Published: July 8, 2013 INTERNATIONAL MATH CONTEST CHAMPS – Triumphant Filipino students and their coaches show the medals and trophies they won in the International Mathematics Competition in Bulgaria at the Dubai International Airport on July 6, 2013 before taking their flight back to Manila. Also in photo are Department of Science and Technology Science Education Institute Director Dr. Filma Brawner (right, standing), and Dr. Simon Chua (right), head of the Philippine delegation to the contest. (Jonathan Hicap) BURGAS, Bulgaria — The Philippines swept the competition as it was crowned overall champion in the elementary division including one Filipino student who got a perfect score in the 2013 Bulgaria International Mathematics Competition (BIMC) held here. RP Elementary Team A, composed of Jinger Chong of St. Jude Catholic School, Shaquille Wyan Que of Grace Christian College, Jose Ignacio Locsin of St. John Institute (Bacolod) and Luke Matthews Bernardo of Philadelphia High School (Quezon City), bested teams from 28 countries including math powerhouse China to bag the overall champion award. They also won as champion in the team and group contests. Chong, 12 years old, was feted at the BIMC awarding ceremony for getting a perfect score, the only one among the 293 contestants in the elementary division to achieve the feat. She was awarded a gold medal. “I am very happy. I dedicate this award to my parents, school and to the Mathematics Trainers Guild for training me,” Chong told Manila Bulletin, the only Philippine media which covered the competition in Bulgaria. Filipino students brought home five gold, seven silver, 10 bronze and eight merit awards in the individual contest. In the team and group contests, the Philippines won five first-place trophies. “We are very proud of our Filipino students by winning in the contest especially that we bagged overall champion trophy,” said Dr. Simon Chua, head of the Philippine delegation to the contest and president of the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG). In the individual contest, besides Chong and Que, the other Filipino gold medalists are Vicente Raphael Chan of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School, Clyde Wesley Ang of Chiang Kai Shek College and Farrell Eldrian Wu of MGC New Life Christian Academy in Taguig. Winning silver medals are Jose Ignacio Locsin of St. John Institute (Bacolod), Stefan Marcus Ang Ong of St. Jude Catholic School, Steven John Wang of UNO High School, Tiffany Mae Ong of Immaculate Conception Academy, John Thomas Chuatak of St. Stephen’s High School, Shawan Gabriel Cabanes of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School and Sedrick Scott Keh of Xavier School. The bronze medalists are Luke Matthews Bernardo of Philadelphia High School in Quezon City, Adam Christopher Chan of Grace Christian College, Ryan Mark Shao of Xavier School, Eason Wong of Philippine Cultural College, Kelsey Lim Tiong Soon of Grace Christian College, Kaye Janelle Yao of Grace Christian College, Nathanael Joshua Balete of St. Stephen’s High School, Andrew Lawrence Sy of Xavier School, Andrea Jessica Jaba of St. Jude Catholic School and John Aries Ceazar Hingan of San Beda College Alabang. Merit awardees are Gen Mark Tanno of Southville International School, Joseph Raymond Fadri of Makati Science High School, Andrew Brandon Ong of Chiang Kai Shek College, William Joshua King of Bethany Christian School (Cebu City), Anna Nicola Baizas of Philippine Science High School Main, Jaymi Mae Ching of Jubilee Christian Academy, Alyana Zoie Chua of MGC New Life Christian Academy and Christopher Jose Carlos of Ateneo de Manila Grace School. In the team and group contests, RP Elementary Team B, composed of Chan, King, Ong and Wang, and RP Elementary Team C, composed of Baizas, Ching, Chua and Ong, won second runner-up in the group divisions. RP Elementary Team D, composed of Carlos, Chan, Shao and Wong, won as champion in the group and second runner-up in the team contest. In high school, RP High School Team A, composed of Ang, Chuatak, Lim Tiong Soon and Yao, won as champion in the team and first runner-up in the group. RP High School Team B, composed of Balete, Cabanes, Sy and Tanno, won second runner-up in the team. RP High School Team C, composed of Jaba, Keh, Wu and Isabella Mae Tan of St. Jude Catholic School, won first runner-up in the team and group while RP High School Team D, composed of Fadri, Ong, Hingan and Jose Alfonso Ignacio Mirabueno of Philippine Science High School-Southern Mindanao, won first runner-up in the team. Besides Dr. Chua, the Philippine delegation was composed of Dr. Lolita Andrada, director of the Department of Education’s Bureau of Secondary Education; Dr. Filma Brawner, director of the Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-SEI); and coaches Arvie Ubarro, Rechilda Villame, Isidro Aguilar, Joseph Wee, Robert Degolacion and Dr. Eduardo dela Cruz Jr., dean of Arellano University’s College of Education. Mayor Dimitar Nikolov of Burgas, Bulgaria attended the opening and closing ceremonies.