By JERRY E. ESPLANADA

A group of young Filipino mathematics and science wizards has made the country proud by winning 13 medals in the just-ended 16th International Math and Science Olympiad (IMSO), held last Nov. 26 to Dec. 1 in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.

With a respectable haul of six silver and seven bronze medals, the numbers aces from various elementary schools nationwide -- all wards of the non-government Mathematics Trainers' Guild Phils., or MTG -- made it to the list of top medalists in the 24-nation contest.

     Dr. Simon Chua, MTG co-founder and COO, named the IMSO silver medalists as:

• Ian Gabriel Hong and Sophie Jill Co, both from PACE Academy;
• Iris Lexi Ababon from Colegio San Agustin-Makati;
• Sean Jang from Elizabeth Seton School
• Bernice Marie Buaqenia from San Beda College-Alabang, and
• Reuben Joseph Felix from De La Salle-Lipa.

The bronze medal winners were:

• Dana Francesa Abgelina from Colegio San Agustin-Makati;
• Anika Gayle Tan from Zamboanga Chong Hua High School;
• Justin Aaron Co from St. Jude Catholic School;
• Ileina Jacob from St. Philomena Academy of Lipa;
• Catherine Anne Panelo from Immaculate Conception Academy-Greenhills;
• Edley Stan Tan Cheng from Hope Christian High School, and
• Ron MattheusD inos from Mother Goose Special School System.     

More than 500 international students took part in the contest, according to Chua.

During the IMSO's math tilt, contestants hurdled short answer, as well as essay-type and exploratory tests. Science contestants, on the other hand, were tasked to answer multiple choice and essay-type tests plus a two-part experiment.

IMSO aims to develop students' full potentials in math and science, create an academic atmosphere, encourage innovations in research and development and promote cultural exchanges among math and science teachers and students worldwide.

Aside from the Philippines, this year's IMSO participating countries also includes Bulgaria, China, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, South Africa, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan and the United States, among others.

The Filipino students and their team leaders Dr. Isidro Aguilar, Dr. Emmanuel Lance Christopher Plan and Ivan Aguilar were scheduled to fly back to Manila on Dec. 2.

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