Pinoy student, 10, wins gold at international math tilt

MANILA, Philippines — An incoming Grade 5 student from Olongapo City won a gold medal in an international mathematics competition held in New York City this week.

Ten-year-old Francis Deinmel Legaspi, a student at the Special Education Center for the Gifted-Kalayaan (SPED-G Kalayaan) in Subic, bested finalists from 22 countries during the 4th Copernicus Olympiad Mathematics Global Round held at Columbia University from July 9 to 13.

The Copernicus Olympiad is an international competition for students from Grades 3 to 12. It aims to increase students’ interest in science and related disciplines, as well as “enhance and develop their potential by honing their logical deduction abilities.”

Aside from mathematics, there are also annual global rounds for natural science and physics and astronomy, held every January in Houston, Texas.

The global round for the film competition, for students below 20 years old, will be held in Los Angeles, California in October.

In a post on its Facebook page, SPED-G Kalayaan congratulated Legaspi for winning the mathematics competition.

“We celebrate your success! Thank you for giving pride to SPED-G and the Philippines. Mabuhay! To God be the Glory!” it said.

Legaspi previously won gold medals in the Hong Kong International Math Olympiad, Thailand International Math Olympiad, Southeast Asia Math Olympiad, Philippine International Math Olympiad and the World International Math Olympiad.

In a statement sent to the media, Legaspi’s father Dennis expressed gratitude to Sen. Sonny Angara “for consistently helping his son ever since he started joining international math competitions at the age of six.”

He also acknowledged SPED-G Kalayaan principal Abdon Bayla and his son’s personal math coach, Ricardo Quejado.