PH wizards shine in Australian math contest

Ninety-eight Filipino students bagged awards including one who got a perfect score in the 2015 Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) recently.

Andres Rico Gonzales, 13, Grade 8 student of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, was the lone Filipino and one of only 42 students worldwide who got perfect scores among the 300,000 participants from 40 countries who joined the AMC this year.

The competition was held simultaneously in all participating countries including the Philippines.

For his feat, Gonzales received a medal and the Peter O’Halloran Certificate of Excellence from Mike Clapper, executive director of the Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT), who flew to Manila from Australia for the awarding ceremony of the Filipino winners last October 23.

Other AMC medalists are Farrell Eldrian Wu of MGC New Life Christian Academy, Kyle Patrick Dulay of Philippine Science High School-Main and Vince Jan Torres of the Sta. Rosa Science and Technology High School.

“Filipino students did very well (in the AMC this year),” said Clapper in an interview.

Students who won Prize Awards are Nicholas Marcus Lua, Kei Hang Derek Chan, and Alexandra Gochian, all of Saint Jude Catholic School; Raphael Dylan Dalida, St. Mary’s Academy-Pasay; Erin Christen Noceda, Special Education Center for the Gifted-Subic Bay; Filbert Ephraim Wu, MGC New Life Christian Academy; Annika Angela Mei Tamayo, Ateneo de Iloilo-SMCS; Frederick Ivan Tan, Xavier School; Bryce Ainsley Sanchez, Grace Christian College; Sean Ty of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School and Clyde Wesley Ang, Chiang Kai Shek College.

Among the High Distinction awardees, who belonged to the top 2 percent of their year and country, are Michaella Kisha Camba, Leon Chua, Neo Gatlabayan, Alysa Corinne Llantero, Luigi Trevor Lui, Justin Miguel Ngo, Matteo Sy, D Theodore Abara, David Addison Calimlim, Marinoelle Castillo, Rovi Gabriel Dela Cruz, Armea Helena Sien Dimayacyac and Walsh Nico Letran.