Filipino students won four medals and two honorable mentions at the prestigious 65th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) held in Bath, United Kingdom.
Based on official results, all six contestants from the Philippines bagged awards at the IMO: a silver medal, three bronze medals and two honorable mentions.
The Philippine team to the 65th IMO is composed of (from left) Jerome Austin Te , Alvann Walter Paredes Dy, Mohammad Nur Casib , Luke Sebastian Sy, Filbert Ephraim Wu and Ervin Joshua Bautista (Photo: Jessica Wang / IMO UK 2024)
The Philippine team at the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Bath, United Kingdom (Photos: Jessica Wang / IMO UK 2024)
The Philippine team at the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Bath, United Kingdom (Photo: Julian Preece / IMO UK 2024)
Winning a silver medal for the Philippines is Jerome Austin Te of Jubilee Christian Academy. Last year, he bagged a silver medal in the 64th IMO.
“I'm very thankful and honored to receive another silver medal at this year's IMO. It was a pleasant surprise for me because I didn't expect much as the first day of the contest didn't go as well as I would have liked,” said Te.
He added, “However, I'm still happy to garner the Philippine's 20th silver medal in the IMO. I hope that it serves as an inspiration for the Filipino youth to excel in the field of mathematics and other sciences. I hope that it also exemplifies the Filipino spirit of not giving up: even if we are behind or under great pressure, we can keep pushing and still perform well.”
Bagging bronze medals for the country are Filbert Ephraim Wu of Victory Christian International School, Alvann Walter Paredes Dy of Saint Jude Catholic School and Luke Sebastian Sy of Grace Christian College.
This is Wu’s last participation in the IMO as he is set to go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US for his college education. He won a silver medal in the 2023 IMO and honorable mention in 2022.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to once again represent our country in the 2024 International Mathematical Olympiad, and I appreciate the learning experience through the whole selection and training process over the years. I foresee the continued growth of the math Olympiad community in the Philippines and envision even stronger results for the country in the coming years!” said Wu, a resident of Taguig.
Wu’s brother, Farrell Eldrian, won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, and an honorable mention in the IMO from 2013 to 2017.
Paredes Dy took home a bronze medal in last year’s contest. This is Sy’s first time to join the IMO.
“Given how difficult the IMO is, an award was the last thing I expected. Nevertheless, I am honored to earn another bronze medal for our country, and I am proud of the achievements gathered by our Philippine team," said Paredes Dy.
He said that “the hard work of our mentors and trainers, the collective spirit among us team members, and most especially the unending support from our family and friends, had motivated me to do my best, and it made all the difference in the final outcome of the 65th IMO.”
According to Sy, "I am deeply thankful for this achievement, and I owe it all to the unwavering support of my parents, the guidance of my MOSC teachers, and God’s unending grace. To everyone who prayed for me and supported me throughout my long mathematical journey, thank you. Making the IMO team had been a longtime dream of mine, and I am thankful to everyone who helped in making it a reality.”
Contestants who bagged honorable mentions are Ervin Joshua Bautista of Southville International School and Colleges, and Mohammad Nur Casib of Philippine Science High School-Central Mindanao Campus.
This was also Bautista’s first time to participate in the IMO while Casib won two bronze medals in the IMO in 2022 and 2023.
The official results for the Philippines at the 65th IMO in Bath, United Kingdom (IMO website)
This year, a total of 609 contestants participated in the IMO. Based on the IMO results, the Philippines ranked 50th among 108 countries and territories this year.
In the 64th IMO held last year in Chiba, Japan, the Philippines won three silver and three bronze medals and ranked 26th among 112 participating countries and territories.
The six Filipino contestants to the IMO were chosen through the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Camp (MOSC).
Accompanying the students to the 65th IMO were team leader Hazel Joh Shi of the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UP Diliman) and deputy team leader Kerish Villegas of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU).
Other trainers for the Philippine team were Dr. Richard Eden (ADMU), Dr. Christian Paul Chan Shio (ADMU), Dr. Louie John Vallejo (UP Diliman), Dr. Jerome Dimabayao (UP Diliman), Misael Jose Fisico, Dr. Russelle Guadalupe (UP Diliman), Carlo Francisco Adajar (University of Georgia), Gari Lincoln Chua, Lu Christian Ong (ADMU), Sean Anderson Ty, Vince Jan Torres, Immanuel Josiah Balete (UP Diliman), Carl Joshua Quines, Mikaela Angelina Uy (Stanford University), Vance Eldric Go, and Raphael Dylan Dalida (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
The selection of the members of the Philippine team is supported by the Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP) and the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).
The Philippines first participated in the IMO in 1988. To date, the Philippines has won four gold medals, 20 silver medals, 43 bronze medals, and 32 honorable mentions at the IMO.