By Ruby R. Cristobal, MediaCore, STII

Young mathematically gifted Filipinos added their names among the region's best in mathematics after earning the most coveted Western Pacific medals in the recent Australian Mathematics Competition. 

Grace Christian High School sophomore Daryl Jonathan Lee and Philippine Science High School senior Jose Ramon Batiller received the grand prize in a ceremony held October 23 at the Department of Science and Technology in Bicutan, Taguig.

Australian Mathematics Trust Executive Director Peter J. Taylor along with DOST Undersecretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, Australian embassy acting deputy head of missions Paul Griffiths, and Mathematics Trainers Guild of the Philippines President Dr. Simon L. Chua handed the awards to the young math talents.

Four other students also received the AMC special achievement awards, nine got their certificates of high distinction, and one earned a special award for the best standardized AMC score.  All the AMC awardees also received certificates of recognition from DOST's Science Education Institute.

Almost half-million secondary school students from different countries went to test their math skills in the year's biggest annual event in Australia.  Over 364,000 Year 7-12 students from 2,369 Australian schools and more than 96,000 students from 936 schools in 35 countries including the Philippines participated in the event. 

            The competition is on its 25^th year and continuously provides a fruitful venue for secondary students in the region to gauge their mathematical skills.  The Canberra-based Australian Mathematics Trust organized and implements the AMC.  The trust is composed of educators and mathematicians in Australia.

Sponsors of the program are the Westpac Banking Corporation, the University of Canberra, and the Canberra Mathematical Association.  In the Philippines,  SEI-DOST runs the AMC in cooperation with the Mathematics Trainers Guild of the Philippines and the Mathematical Society of the Philippines.