Filipino math wizards are on a roll, winning medals in international competitions one after the other.

The whiz kids brought home a combined 69 medals from two tough math competitions in China and Taiwan recently.

The students won six silver medals and 63 bronzes in two contests -- the 2010 China Junior High School Math Olympiad, in Tianjin, China; and the Hua LoGeng Golden Cup Mathematics Invitational Competition in ChangHua, western Taiwan, said Dr. Simon Chua, president of Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG), who coached all the contestants.

In the Hua LoGeng contest, named after Hua LoGeng, one of China’s greatest contemporary mathematicians, the Philippines bagged four silvers and eight bronzes.

Individual silver medalists in the elementary contest were Ma. Czarina Angela Lao and Austin Edrich Chua, both students of the St. Jude Catholic School, and Jason Fernandez of San Beda College-Alabang in Muntinlupa. The lone Filipino silver medalist in the high school division was Mario Antonio Ongkiko of Xavier School.

Bronze medalists were Kaye Yao of Grace Christian College, John Aranas of Maximo Estrella Elementary School, Ethan Riley Chan of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School, Aljan Balbuena of Senator R. Cayetano Memorial Science and Technological School, Philip Lizarda of San Beda College-Alabang, Jason Tan of Jubilee Christian Academy, Benson Tan of Jubilee Christian Academy, and John Alexander Co of Xavier School.

“All our 12 students were lucky because they met the cut-off score and were awarded medals,” said Dr. Chua, the first Filipino to receive the international Paul Erdos Award in mathematics.

Countries that participated in the Hua LoGeng Golden Cup were the Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and China, which topped the contest.

In the 2010, China Junior High School Math Olympiad, Filipino contestants who won silver medals were Justin Bryan Chong of Grace Christian College, and Julie Anne Co of Philippine Science High School-Eastern Visayas.

Dr. Chua said there were two contests in the China Junior High School Math Olympiad and almost all of the Filipino contestants won two medals each.

The Tianjin contest, organized by the Committee on Popularization of Mathematics Education of the China Mathematical Society, was participated in by China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan. China also topped the contest.

The Philippines earlier won 136 medals and merit awards to place second overall behind China in the 6th International Mathematics Competition (IMC) held in Singapore this week.