By Jonathan Hicap
SM Supermalls and the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG) have signed an agreement for the holding of the 14th Philippine Sudoku Super Challenge (PSSC) and three other math contests in the country.
Leading the signing were Millie Dizon, SM senior vice president for marketing and Dr. Isidro Aguilar, MTG president, together with Dr. Simon Chua and Myrna Agtarap, MTG officers.
Under the agreement, SM Supermalls will be the exclusive sponsor of this year’s PSSC, MTG-SM-DepEd Family Math Quest, National Mathematical Olympiad for Senior High School, and the 2019 MTG-SM-SHARP-DEPED Math Trail and Problem Solving Competitions.
The winners of the Sudoku contest will represent the Philippines in the World Sudoku Championship and other international contests.
“We’ve had this partnership for many years and we really seen it grow, and we’ve seen how it has impacted the lives of young Filipinos, especially it introduces to them the importance of mathematics. These are skills which are now very, very much in demand and very, very important,” Dizon said.
MTG also signed an agreement with SHARP Calculators, which will be the co-sponsor of the contests and MTG’s 2020 Young Mathematicians In-House Intensive Training Program (YMIITP), an intensive program which selects Filipino students to compete in different international math contests.
Signing the agreement were MTG officers Arvie Ubarro and Agtarap, and SHARP Calculators representatives John Christopher Domingo, brand marketing officer, and Gervin Abad, brand marketing associate.
“We are very thankful to SM Supermalls and SHARP Calculators for being our partners in these contests. For over 20 years, MTG has been training Filipino students to be the country’s contestants in international math competitions and we will continue to do so as our commitment to helping in uplifting their skills,” said Dr. Aguilar.