The Philippines has proven anew its strong sense of competitiveness in the recently concluded 2008 China Junior High School Math Olympiad held in Yichang City, Hubei Province, China last August 5 – 9, 2008. This contest which was participated by Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, China and the Philippines was a mentally strenuous competition for it contained challenging and tricky problems.
The Mathematics Trainers’ Guild, Philippines after undergoing careful selection process through trainings and more trainings chose twenty (20) participants to compose the Philippine team. Since the arrangement of the aforementioned math contest came in two sets of quizzes whereby the 1st quiz concentrated more on the three open-ended type problems and were given and required to finish in three hours while the 2nd quiz focused on applying probable solving strategies short answer where solution was not needed, the Philippine team was slated 2nd and 3rd Places in the second quiz and 3rd Place in the first quiz. Furthermore, one of the Philippine teams was presented with the Best Performance Award. Out of the more than 300 participants in this competition, only two-thirds were awarded.
The Pinoy mathletes who handled the competition so well and ranked themselves 2nd Place in the second quiz were Lawrence Neal Garcia (Bethany Christian School, Cebu City), Ma. Regina Paz Onglao (St. Paul College – Pasig). The third placer still in the second quiz were John Russell Virata (Gideon Academy, Pasay City), Raechel Anne Yabut (Philippine Science High School – Eastern Visayas Campus, Tacloban City), John Lemuel Yu (St. Stephen’s High School, Manila), Sed Anderson Holaysan (Bethany Christian School, Cebu City), Eldridge Myles Tan (Xavier School, San Juan City), Erik Lance Astillero (Chiang Kai Shek College, Manila), Israel Tan (St. Stephen’s High School, Manila), Joel Edward Cardinal (Makati Science High School), Sabrina Adabelle Tiu (St. Stephen’s High School, Manila), Ralph Joshua Sarrosa (Angelicum School Iloilo, Iloilo City), Jomar Anthony Sastrillo (Silliman University – SBE, Dumaguete City), Jim Darrel Ang(Lanao Chung Hua School, Iligan City), Charles Reginald Hwang (MGC New Life Christian Academy, Inc., Makati City), Ma. Magarita Corinna Cariño (St. Paul College – Pasig), Faith Abigail Co (Tarlac Living Faith Academy), Misaki Ueki (Canossa Academy, Calamba City), Hanz Vladimir Cabanes (Zamboanga Chong Hua High School), Lee Seung Beom (Gideon Academy, Pasay City).
The following Pinoy math wizards who settled for 3rd Place in the first quiz were John Lemuel Yu (St. Stephen’s High School, Manila), John Russell Virata (Gideon Academy, Pasay City), Raechel Anne Yabut (Philippine Science High School – Eastern Visayas Campus, Tacloban City), Jomar Anthony Sastrillo (Silliman University – SBE, Dumaguete City), Israel Tan (St. Stephen’s High School, Manila), Joel Edward Cardinal (Makati Science High School, Makati City), Lawrence Neal Garcia (Bethany Christian School, Cebu City), Sed Anderson Holaysan (Bethany Christian School, Cebu City), Eldridge Myles Tan (Xavier School, San Juan City), Sabrina Adabelle Tiu (St. Stephen’s High School, Manila), Ma. Magarita Corinna Cariño (St. Paul College – Pasig), Faith Abigail Co (Tarlac Living Faith Academy, Tarlac City), Misaki Ueki (Canossa Academy, Calamba City), Ralph Joshua Sarrosa (Angelicum School Iloilo, Iloilo City), Erik Lance Astillero (Chiang Kai Shek College, Manila), Ma. Regina Paz Onglao (St. Paul College – Pasig).