Filipino math wizards proved again their might when 14 students from 10 high schools won awards in the 2009 Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) held recently in the country.

Dr. Simon Chua, president of the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG), four of the students received medals. They are Julius Vincent Sy of St. Stephen’s High School, who garnered a perfect score in the contest; Seanne Ng of Saint Jude Catholic School, Justin Edric Yturzaeta of Jubilee Christian Academy, and Amiel Sy from the Philippine Science High School-Main.

Sy, a second year student, was one of the only 20 students in the world who got perfect scores in the contest, which was administered in the country by the MTG and AMT. Sy was awarded the Peter O’Halloran Certificate for his feat.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Dr. Peter Taylor, executive director of the Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT), led in awarding the medals to the winners last Monday.

“We at MTG are very proud of the latest achievements of our students. This goes to show that Filipino students are very talented in math and science,” Dr. Chua said.

Also awarded during the ceremony were the winners of the 2009 Rio Tinto Big Science Competition, which was also administered in the country last June. The contest is held yearly by the AMT, Australian Science Innovations and Rio Tinto, a mining company in Australia.

Besides the four, the other 10 students who garnered AMC awards were sisters Czarina and Audrey Celine Lao and Adrian Sy of Saint Jude Catholic School; Lormes Pedeglorio of Butuan City Special Education Center; Miguel Lorenzo Ildesa of PAREF-Westbridge School; Aldric Cristoval Reyes of Chiang Kai Shek College; John Russel Virata of Gideon Academy; Alvin Uy Lim of Quezon City Science High School; Emiliano Tan of Philippine Science High School (PSHS)-Main; and Jake Gacuan of the University of the Philippines.

In addition, 43 students were awarded the High Distinction certificates for being in the Top 2 percent of examinees in their year levels in the contest. Thirteen students were also given the Prudence Award for getting the most number of correct answers in Question No. 1 of the contest.

On the other hand, the six students who obtained perfect scores in the 2009 Rio Tinto Big Science Competition were Johanna Wileen Go of St. Jude Catholic School, Henry Jefferson Morco and Richard Milante of Chiang Kai Shek College, Timothy Augustus Ong of Xavier School, Elvis Jeremy Ayroso of Philippine Science High School-Main Campus, and Ariana Benipayo of St. Paul College-Pasig.

Also present during the awarding ceremony were Chua, public affairs manager Juemain Diaz de Rivera of the Australian Embassy; and Dr. Leticia Catris, deputy director and officer-in-charge of the Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology.

Besides the Philippines, other participating countries in the AMC are Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Singapore, New Zealand, and Thailand.