THERE’S another Olympics in China this week, and in some respects, it could be tougher. Six Filipino girls embody the country’s great hopes for winning medals in this one.

They leave on Wednesday for Zhongshan, Guangdong province, for the All-Female International Math Olympiad (otherwise referred to as the China Girls Math Olympiad), one of the toughest and most prestigious global tilts. Hopes are high they could bring home an even bigger bacon than they did last year. This possibility is high, given the grueling training they’ve undergone under the Mathematics Trainers Guild (MTG), whose founder-president, Dr. Simon L. Chua, is joining the girls and their parents in China.

Another key trainer for this particular stint is Misael Jose Fisico, one of the founders of MTG, now connected with the Harker School in San Jose, California, and currently the president (2008-2010) of the Santa Clara Valley Math Association (SCVMA) in Silicon Valley in San Jose.

Fisico was a two-time recipient of the Edyth May Sliffe Awards for Mathematics Excellence in the United States, an award he got because of the performance of his students—earnings several medals— at the American Math Competitions.

 Josephine Lorenzo Tan, assistant supervisor in Grace Christian College and one of two public-relations officers of MTG, is also with the group.

Carmela Lao

Fresh from her stint at the 2nd Hua Luo Geng Mathematics Elites Invitational Competition in Beijing where she garnered a silver medal in the High School division, Carmela is raring to go to the China Girls Math Olympiad. “In contests and in everything else in life, I have learned that my only competitor is myself.  Nothing and no one else can hinder me from achieving my full potential.  So now, I have to strive to beat myself and make our country proud,” she asserted.

She was the sole gold medalist ever from the Philippines in the 2004 International Math and Science Olympiad held annually in Indonesia. She was the National Individual Champion in the elementary level of the 2007 Metrobank-MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge. In the recently concluded American Regions Maths League held at Las Vegas, Nevada from May 26 to 31, she got the Team Top Scorer medal. 

Angeline Baniqued

Last month, Angeline “Annie” L. Baniqued, senior high school student of St. Paul’s College-Pasig, was one of the country’s gold medalists in the International Mathematics Contest (IMC) in Singapore.

Describing what it takes to even qualify for global math contests, Annie says: “You have no right hoping for the best if you have not done your best in the first place. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Math and sciences require a very high degree of patience and accuracy.  The only way young Filipinos can compete with the world’s best is through hard work [i.e. training] and discipline. We have the innate talent to excel in these fields but it needs to be nurtured through constant training and endless polishing.”

As a YES Awardee of the 1st Youth Excellence in Science Award of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in 2007, she got a gold medal.

Annie has been a consistent top scorer in the annual competition of the MTG’s Young Mathematicians’ In-House Intensive Training Program. She is also editor-in-chief of the school publication, Pauliworld. 

Geraldine Baniqued

Joining Annie is younger sister Geraldine, who marks her second participation in the China Girls Math Olympiad. Last year, when she was only a sophomore, she tied with then senior Stephanie Oliveros as bronze medalists in the 2007 China Girls Math Olympiad.  Both girls are in this year’s team.

In St. Paul College-Pasig, Geraldine is the consistent batch topnotcher in academics and subject proficiency awardee in science, math and most subjects.  “Dindin” is a member of her batch track-and-field team during the annual intramurals.  She can play the piano, organ and violin.  

Stephanie Anne Oliveros

Graduating with the highest honors and the “Best in Mathematics” title from the Philippine Science High School, Stephanie Anne Oliveros returns to this year’s China Math Olympiad with high hopes.

She was the Metrobank DepEd Math Challenge’s National Champion in the Team Category and National Champion of the Philippine Math Olympiad. 

Gisel Ong

Gisel Ong of Grace Christian College was the NCR gold medalist in the individual category of the Metro Bank-DepEd regional finals, and a silver medalist in the team competition of the national finals when she graduated from Grade Six.  She also won a bronze medal in the Indonesia International Mathematics Competition held in Bali.  Turning 14 just last May, she is the youngest in her batch and belongs to the third year honors class of Grace Christian.

To be competitive in math, Gisel remembers the words of her elementary trainer, that is, “constant correct practice makes perfect.” 

Hazel Joy Shi

Hazel Joy Shi of Philippine Cultural High School completes the team. She was a silver medalist in the 2008 International Mathematics Contest in Singapore last July, where the MTG-trained team brought home a rich harvest of medals.

She is also a member of the Philippine Metro Manila Team B who bagged second place in the team category of the 2007 Asia Intercities Teenagers Mathematics Invitation Contest. She won a gold and a silver medal in the Metrobank-MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge-Individual Sectoral Finals Category A in the 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Villagers flee as fighting intensifies

TAKEPAN, Pikit, North Cotabato—In one of the rooms of the Takepan Elementary School here, some 20 children simultaneously cried as mothers shouted in the vernacular: “Keep hugging the floor! Pray! Don’t shout!”

Biggest Swiss trade fair focuses on RP

SWISS President Pascal Couchepin has invited President Arroyo to visit his country next year in time for the opening of the Muba, the biggest Swiss consumer trade fair in February 2009, which will feature the Philippine at its center stage.

EU investors drawn beyond India, China as Asean integration nears

PLANS to establish a single market economy for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are attracting European investors to move to Asia beyond China and India.

Human rights, rule of law sticky issues in RP-EU pact

THE Philippines is seeking to settle sticky issues in the proposed partnership cooperation agreement (PCA) with the European Union which include government’s commitments to uphold human rights and rule of law in the country before the Asia Europe Meeting (Asem) Summit in Beijing in October this year.

Asean maintains region security in past 41 years

DESPITE international criticism of its policy of noninterference, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has satisfactorily maintained regional peace and order in the last 41 years, according to Senate foreign relations chairman Miriam Santiago.

6 RP girls gear up for tougher Olympiad in China—on math

THERE’S another Olympics in China this week, and in some respects, it could be tougher. Six Filipino girls embody the country’s great hopes for winning medals in this one.

‘Katas ng VAT’ funds eyed for jeepney engines’ conversion

DESPITE a small decrease in fuel cost, various transport groups under the umbrella organization of United Transport Koalisyon (1-Utak) have lined up to avail themselves of the funds from “Katas ng VAT” that was announced by President Arroyo in her State of the Nation Address for the installation of engines using liquefied petroleum (LPG) gas in all passenger jeepneys.