Marawi survivor, repeat medalist bag bronze in Intl Math Olympiad
TWO Filipino teenagers—a Marawi siege survivor and a two-time medalist—capped their recent campaign in the 63rd International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) with a podium finish.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Oslo, the bronze-medal winners are Mohammad Nur Casib from Philippine Science High School-central Mindanao Campus and Raphael Dylan Dalida from PSHS-MAIN Campus.
Casib was a student in Marawi when the Maute terror group attacked the city. He and his family fled to Cagayan de Oro in 2017.
For Dalida, it was his third time to bring home a medal from the Norway-based Olympiad. He won silver in 2021, and bronze in 2020.
Four Filipino team members were also feted with honorable mentions: Sarji Elijah Bona (De La Salle University-senior High School), Enrico Rolando Martinez (also from PSHS-MAIN Campus), Rickson Caleb Tan (MGC New Life Christian Academy) and Filbert Ephraim Wu (Victory Christian International School).
Ambassador of the Philippines to Norway Enrico Fos warmly welcomed the Philippine team to the chancery and congratulated them.
“Their feat in this [IMO] is worthy of emulation by the other kids of their generation in the Philippines,” Fos said. “After all, [it was] a math competition of the best and brightest high-school math wizards worldwide.”
The national team was headed by Dr. Christian Paul Chan Shio from Ateneo de Manila University, on behalf of the Mathematical Society of the Philippines; Deputy Leader Hazel Joy Shi, trainer from UP Diliman; and Russelle Guadalupe.
Considered the “world championship of high school mathematics competition,” IMO is one of the most prestigious, yet most difficult of its kind. More than 100 countries with up to six members in each team participated this year.
Chiba, Japan will host the 64th edition next year. The Philippines first joined the Olympiad in 1988.