PH Math team tops int’l contest with 18 medals

The 18-member Philippine Mathematics team had hoped and prayed to “bring honor to the country” in the 6th International Young Mathematicians’ Competition (IYMC), held on Dec. 2 to 5 in Lucknow, India.

To their surprise, the young Filipino numbers aces—mostly high school students from Metro Manila—did not just win 18 medals, including 13 golds, in the 11-nation contest. They also emerged as overall champion in the biennial event organized by the City Montessori School.

Thailand and host India placed second and third overall in the competition.

The good news was relayed to the INQUIRER on Saturday night by Dr. Simon Chua, president of the nongovernment Mathematics Trainers’ Guild Phils. and head of the Philippine delegation to the IYMC.

He praised the team members for “a job well done” and for “making the Philippines proud.”

The team also won three silver and two bronze medals, as well as five first place trophies in team events, two first place trophies in Math relay contests and a runner-up trophy in the math quiz event.

In an e-mail, Chua said the country’s gold medal winners were Christopher Banzon from Makati Science High School in Makati City; Mark Davidson Cua from Pangasinan Universal Institute in Dagupan City; Grant Aaron King from Grace Christian College and John Henry Marquez from Philippine Science High School, both in Quezon City; Sephi Marz Liclican from PSHS-Ilocos; Terence Brian Tsai from Chiang Kai Shek College in Manila; Miko Johnson Co and Hans Markson Tan, both from St. Stephen’s High School in Manila; Matthew Angelo Isidro and Stephan Marcus Ong, both from St. Jude Catholic School, also in Manila; and James Christian Atilano, Gene Go Jr. and Xavier Jefferson Ray Go, all from Zamboanga Chong Hua High School in Zamboanga City.

The silver medalists were William Joshua King from Bethany Christian School in Cebu, and Sabrina Rae Chan and Shannon Gail Ho, both from Zamboanga Chong Hua High School.

The bronze medalists were John Luis Maglinao from TD & S Hope Christian Academy in Quezon City and Orex John Ong from Trinity Christian School in Bacolod City.

The other participating countries were Iran, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Qatar, Sri Lanka and South Africa.