By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 15:02:00 01/24/2010
Filed Under: Education, Awards and Prizes
MANILA -- Two high school students from Metro Manila and one from Zamboanga City topped the just-concluded Philippine Mathematics Olympiad (PMO), held on Saturday at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.
John Russell Virata, 16, and a fourth year student of Gideon Academy in Pasay City, bested 19 other young numbers aces to win the gold medal and a cash prize of P18,000, said the Mathematical Society of the Philippines, which administered the competition along with the Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
In second place was Zheng Rong Wu from Zamboanga Chong Hua High School in Zamboanga City, while Aldric Cristoval Reyes from Chiang Kai Shek High College in Manila came in third.
Both Zheng and Reyes took home a medal and P12, 000 and P6,000 cash, respectively.
All three winners will join 17 other PMO finalists in the Philippine training pool for the 51st International Math Olympiad (IMO), scheduled for next July in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Only four students will represent the country in the tough IMO.
The other PMO finalists are Elvis Jeremy Ayroso, Kenneth Co, Immanuel Encarnacion, Amiel Sy, Stephen Jann Tamayo, and Emiliano Tan, all from Philippine Science High School; Geraldine Baniqued from St. Paul College-Pasig; Kate Andrea Bonamy and Zhang Zixin, both from Grace Christian College; Kevin Christopher Catbagan from Ateneo de Manila University; Arielle Elise Chua and Carmela Antoinette Lao, both from St. Jude College; Lance Robin Chua from Bayanihan Institute; Henry Jefferson Morco from Chiang Kai Shek College; Samuel Christian Ong from UNO High School; Ralph Ryan Ting from Jubillee Christian Academy; and Ho Se Kim from La Salle Green Hills.
In 2009, Lao took home a bronze medal from the 50th edition of the IMO, which was held in Bremen, Germany. She became the first Filipino contestant to bag a medal in the prestigious contest.
Most of the 20 PMO finalists, including the top three placers, were among 303 students who were honored recently by DOST for winning over 450 medals in more than a dozen international math and science contests in 2009.
Virata was one of the multiple medal winners, bagging a total of eight medals, including five golds.
For their exemplary achievement, the government awarded the students with DOST's YES medals. YES is short for youth excellence in science.
Virata, Zheng and Reyes were also part of the Philippine math team that emerged overall champions in the 20-nation 2009 Philippine International Mathematics Competitions, held late last year in Iloilo City.
The country's math team hauled a total of 100 medals, including 24 golds, in the competition.
Thailand came in second with 48 medals while Taiwan was third with 46.
The other top finishers were Hong Kong, defending champion China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Bulgaria, and Singapore in that order.
Most, if not all, of this year's PMO winners are wards of Mathematics Trainers' Guild-Phils., a non-stock, non-profit organization that aims to promote excellence in math education and training.
In 2009, MTG-affiliated math wizards garnered nearly 350 medals, including 46 golds, from various international numbers contests, including the 5th Singapore International Math Contest, 8th China Girls Math Olympiad, 10th World Youth Intercities Math Competition in South Africa, China Junior High School Math Olympiad, International Math & Science Olympiad in Indonesia, and the Wizards at Math International Competition in India, among others.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100124-249168/Metro-Zamboanga-City-students-top-Math-tilt
