Grueling math problems were on the loose as most participants from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, China and the Philippines were neck and neck in being first among the equals in a challenge in the recently concluded 2009 China Junior High School Math Olympiad held in Tianjin, China on August 5-9 2009.

Though the RP math warriors felt the jolt and pressure of the competition yet their intensive preparation and giftedness managed to make them stand undaunted to face their foreign counterparts and finish the mental battle with good scores. Thus, the proud Filipino teams, waving the Philippine banner, stood prouder and more glorious this time as each of them went on stage to claim a total of 9 silver medals and 33 bronze medals.

Since the arrangement of the China Junior High School Math Contest came in two sets of quizzes whereby the 1st quiz concentrated more on the three open-ended type problems and were required to finish in three hours while the 2nd quiz focused on applying probable solving strategies and short answer was required here but solution was not needed, the Philippine team hooked silver and bronze medals in the first and second quizzes. Furthermore, one of the Philippine teams was presented with the Best Performance Award.

Raking up 3 silver medals in the first quiz were Kate Andrea Bonamy (Grace Christian College), Maedeliene Uy (Zamboanga Chong Hua High School) and Kyle Justin Meguizo (St. Jude Catholic School).

Still garnering very good results were the 14 bronze medalists: Erik Lance Astillero and Eugene Lester Lin (Chiang Kai Shek College), Jarvin Tan and Steven Matthew Cheng (UNO High School), RJ Lawrence Tiu and Hubert Yao (Iloilo Central Commercial High School), Shaun Wesley Que and Jeremy Vance Yap (Grace Christian College), Brian James Masalunga (Naga Hope Christian School), John Reinier Bulaong (Ateneo De Naga University), Maria Isabel Grau (Colegio San Agustin-Makati), Kathrine Lorenzena Saniel (St. Mary’s School), Ma. Joenelle Grace Plotena ( Trinity Christian School) andSamuel Chiu (Zamboanga Chong Hua High School)

Still making a mark in the second quiz were the 6 silver medalists: Erik Lance Astillero (Chiang Kai Shek College), Jarvin Tan (UNO High School), RJ Lawrence Tiu and Hubert Yao (Iloilo Central Commercial High School), Kate Andrea Bonamy (Grace Christian College), and Emmanuel Gerard Chiu (Silliman University).

These are the 19 Pinoy mathletes who handled the competition so well such that they placed themselves third and grabbed bronze medals in the 2nd quiz. They are: Rommel Alcantara (Manresa School), Jon Rubert Yap, Mario Juvenal Onglao III and Aaron Jevon Anthony Dy (Xavier School), Ian Chesterson Lim, Kennichi Tan, Maedeliene Uy, Antonie Kyla Lim and Antonie Kyna Lim (Zamboanga Chong Hua High School), Olsen John Ong (Trinity Christian School), Shaun Wesley Que (Grace Christian College), Ross Jervin Ruiz (Philippine Science High School- Central Mindanao), Paul Stephen Pakson (Philippine. Science High School- Central Visayas), John Reinier Bulaong (Ateneo De Naga University), Jann Eric Niño Manglapus (Philippine Christian Gospel School), Kyle Justin Meguizo (St. Jude Catholic School), Steven Matthew Cheng (UNO High School), Kathrine Lorenzena Saniel (St. Mary’s School), and Mary Ann Docuyanan (St. Augustine’s School, Iba Zambales).

Congratulations!!!