Young Filipino math wizards, fresh off their triumph at the 60th International Mathematical Olympiad held at the University of Bath last July, paid a courtesy call to major sponsor H.A.R.I. Foundation, Inc., the corporate social responsibility arms of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc.
The year’s team, comprised mostly of first-timers, with their parents and team leaders, proudly presented their medals to HFI President Maria Fe Perez-Agudo. This is the second time that all six team members to the IMO bagged a medal—one silver and five bronze.
The IMO is among the oldest and most prestigious of international scientific Olympiads. The 2019 competition brought together over 600 students representing 112 countries.
Agudo personally congratulated the team for giving “pride and honor to your families, schools, and country.” She also challenged the young math geniuses to study more: “Go for higher learning. Discover what you want in life. Find ways to create opportunities for other people to have a better life.”
For future competitions, Team Leader Dr. Richard Eden expressed hope for greater geographical and gender diversity: “We are casting a wider net so that all schools can participate based on merit.”
The Philippines now ranks 31st out of 112 countries, up from last year’s 38th out of 107 countries.
The yearly national competition is organized by the Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP), the country’s premier mathematical professional organization.