Fe A. Hidalgo, Undersecretary for programs and projects, was the guest speaker during the Awarding Ceremonies of the national finals of the 2005 Math Challenge sponsored by the Department of Education, Metrobank Foundation and the Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP) held recently at Metrobank Plaza Auditorium in Makati City.

          Hidalgo specially lauded a public school pupil, Ron Michael Castillo of Adriatico Memorial School, Calapan City –Region IV-B, for besting the other contestants in the Grade VI-Individual Competition category.

          “This year’s competition gives the public schools more hope in getting Math awards in the future. You have witnessed how Ron Michael Castillo did it,” she said.

          Though only 18 elementary and high school students have been proclaimed as national winners, she reminded that all the other 265,686 finalists are champions because they are the regions’ bests. She also commended the contestants for having perfected most of the math scores.

          In the elementary level – individual competition, Ron Michael L. Castillo of the Adriatico Memorial School in Calapan City emerged as the first place winner, while Joe Drigo V. Enriquez of The Peninsula School in Limay , Bataan bagged the second prize and Sheldon Walter V. Wong of Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City got the third place.  In the team competition, Grace Christian High School in Quezon City emerged victorious as they bagged first place, St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur in Bantay,  Ilocos Sur produced the second place winners and The Peninsula School in Limay, Bataan, third place.

          In the high school level-individual competition, the first placer was Sam Christian G. Lee of Chiang Kai Shek College in Manila, while Jon Henri A. Ma of Trinity Christian College in Bacolod City bagged second place and Elvis T. Chua of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School in Zamboanga City was third place.  In team competition, first place winner was Chiang Kai Shek College in Manila, Zamboanga Chong Hua  High School in Zamboanga City got second place  and Philippine Science High School – Western Visayas in Iloilo City, third place.

          Undersecretary Hidalgo stressed that Mathematics may not be the favorite subject of Filipino students but it is the language of technology.

          She disclosed that results of the TIMMS reveals Philippines to be quite at the bottom but this should be a challenge for everybody.

          “Schools who have more resources should share with those who have less. We should join the Math Challenge not for competition sake alone but for the improvement of education, especially in mathematics,” she said.