...the math wizzards at Aussie Math contest

Filipino teen gets perfect score in 2011 Aussie math contest

By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

Adrian Reginald Sy (second from left) shows off his certificate of recognition for being one of 27 who got a perfect score in the 2011 Australian math contest. With him are (from left to right): Professor Peter Taylor, executive director of the Australian Mathematics Trust; Andrew Byrne, Australian embassy deputy head of mission; Filma Brawner, director of the DOST's Science Education Institute; and Dr. Simon Chua, president of Mathematics Trainers' Guild-Phils.

MANILA, Philippines – By garnering a perfect score, Adrian Reginald Sy, a high school freshman from St. Jude Catholic School in Manila, has aced the 2011 Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC).

This was announced on Monday night by Prof. Peter Taylor, executive director of the Australian Math Trust, which runs the annual contest, during the AMC awarding rites at the Century Park hotel, also in Manila.
Sy, 14, was one of only 27 students worldwide who scored 100 percent in this year’s AMC, according to Taylor.

The other perfect scorers are from Singapore, 8; Taiwan and Hong Kong, 5 each; Bulgaria, 3; Indonesia, 2; and Malaysia, Australia and China, one each.

For his feat, Sy won an AMC medal and a Peter O’Halloran certificate.

In 2010, Sy won a Prize award for scoring 99.7 percent in the same correspondence-type contest.

When interviewed, Sy described the AMC as “tough,” noting “on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the toughest, it’s a 7.5.”

Aside from Sy, 10 other young Filipino numbers aces are Prize awardees this year: Audrey Sy, Jinger Chong, Matthew Angelo Isidro, Andrea Jaba, and Seanne Daphne Ng, all from St. Jude Catholic School; Andrew Lawrence Sy from Xavier School; Miguel Lorenzo Ildesa from Paref-Westbridge School; Justin Yturzaeta from Jubilee Christian Academy; Sterling Alvin Tiu from St. Stephen’s High School; and Henry Jefferson Morco from Chiang Kai Shek College.

Sixty other Filipino students were among the “Top 2 Percent” of over 300,000 students in 40 countries who took part in the competition.

They include, among others, Clyde Wesley Ang from Chiang Kai Shek College; Dion Stephan Ong from Ateneo de Manila University; Belinda Corinne So, Austin Edrich Chua, Matthew Ryan Tan and Hans Leighton Liu, all  from St. Jude Catholic School; Mario Antonio Ongkiko, Ryan Shao and Ethan Chua, all from Xavier School; Jesse Yu Gaw from UNO High School; Juan Pablo Abola from Paref-Southridge School; Miguel Bradford Lao from Philippine Cultural College; Rajo Christian Cadorna from Puerto Princesa Pilot Elementary School; Jasper John Segismundo from Pasig Catholic School; Manuel Vito Ortiz from Solomon Integrated School-Iloilo; and Jose Ignacio Locsin from St. John’s Institute.

Neil Joshua Patiag from SPED Center for the Gifted-Olongapo; John Thomas Chuatak, Gabriel Joseph Pua and Shamira Liao, all from St. Stephen’s High School; Patrick Niño Policarpio from Greenpark Montessori; Jan Joshua Cruz from Pasig Catholic School; Farrell Eldrian Wu from MGC New Life Christian Academy; Xavier Jefferson Go from Zamboanga Chong Hua High School; Raphael Villaluz, Joan Lyn Fadri and Gabriel Estampador, both from San Beda College-Alabang; and Allen Cedrick Domingo, Emilio Paul Nogales, Miguel Sebastian Santos, Niel Benjamin Kho, Kenneth Co, and Marco Vincenzo Karaan, all from Philippine Science High School-Main.

Some 3,650 primary and secondary students nationwide participated in the competition, held simultaneously on August 4.

The contest was conducted here by AMC representatives in coordination with the DOST’s Science Education Institute and the non-government Mathematics Trainers’ Guild-Phils. (MTG).

Dr. Simon Chua, MTG president, described as “encouraging” the country’s performance in this year’s AMC.
“More and more Filipino math students are getting competitive. We hope they would inspire other kids to do the same, especially those in public schools,” Chua said. Most of the local AMC contestants are wards of MTG.

Andrew Byrne, deputy head of mission of the Australian Embassy in Makati City, cited the Filipino awardees for their “mastery of math, the language of modern life.”

Byrne observed that “the Philippines continues to do so well in the AMC.”

The University of Canberra-based AMT limited the first AMC, held in 1976, to Australian students. Two years later, students from New Zealand were allowed to join the contest.

Since 2005, the AMC has spread to 40 nations worldwide.

The contest paper consists of 30 multiple choice questions, which are ordered in increasing difficulty. In the AMC, students are given 75 minutes to solve the problems, which cover arithmetic, algebra, geometry and problem solving.