Marawi student, Team PH shine in HK math contest

• Source: https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/21/marawi-student-team-ph-shine-in-hk-math-contest/
• Wednesday, July 25, 2018

By Jonathan Hicap

Filipino elementary students including one from war-ravaged Marawi City triumphed in a mathematics contest in Hong Kong.

The eight-member delegation bagged one silver and two bronze medals in the individual contests, and two merit awards in the team contests of the 21st Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest (PMWC) held from July 16 to 20, according to the Mathematics Trainers Guild Philippines (MTG).

In the individual contest, Grade 4 student Jerome Austin Te of Jubilee Christian Academy won a silver medal while the bronze medalists are Grade 5 students Mohammad Nur Casib of My Precious Child Learning Center in Marawi City and Tracy Lauren Lei of Saint Jude Catholic School.

In the team contest, Philippines Team A, composed of Ervin Joshua Bautista of Southville International School, Maria Bernadette Landicho of Stonyhurst Southville International School-Batangas, Lei and Te, won a merit award.

The Philippines’ Team B composed of Neo Angelo Gatlabayan of British School Manila, Adrian Guanson Soriaga of Saint Jude Catholic School, Michael Gerard Tongson of Stonyhurst Southville International School-Malarayat and Casib also captured a merit award.

The students were accompanied by MTG team leaders Dr. Simon Chua and Renard Eric Chua and deputy team leaders Quennie Sarabia-Flores and Angeline Orosco. Casib, 12, became an MTG trainee after experiencing the horrors of the Marawi siege last year and was one of the hundreds of thousands who fled the capital city.

“The experience was terrifying. It was horror! He saw the burning of the chapel from the balcony of our home. No food, no water for 13-hour travel,” according to his dad, Norodin Casib, a doctor.

“We took shelter in Cagayan de Oro and there we found MTG. Gradually, this horrific experience vanished from his mind. God is good,” he added.

Other countries and territories that joined this year’s contest include Australia, Bulgaria, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and Vietnam.