By Leilanie Adriano
LAOAG CITY – Team Philippines has brought home three world stars in the Thailand International Mathematical Olympiad (TIMO) final round held in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Feb. 21 to 24, 2025.
In a social media post on Sunday, the Math Olympiads Training League Inc. (MOTLI) said Brian Jansen Vallejo (Secondary 3) of Sarrat National High School in Ilocos Norte, Yleisha Neil Sumo (Secondary 1) of General Emilio Aguinaldo National High School in Cavite, and Achillas Maximus Cristobal (Kindergarten) of Operation Brotherhood Montessori Center in Pampanga dominated the event.
While on their way home to the Philippines, one of the coaches, Michael Malvar, told the Philippine News Agency on Monday that Vallejo, a math legend from Sarrat town, also bagged the world champion award along with one gold, Leibniz, and Pascal awards during the same event.
“They (mathletes) are living proof that with hard work and passion, greatness knows no boundaries,” Malvar said, as he challenged the Philippine team to set the bar higher in the upcoming olympiads as they have been consistent winners in past competitions.
Aside from the Philippines and Thailand, 15 other countries participated in the TIMO Finals: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, India, and Malaysia.
TIMO Finals is one of the qualifying stages for the World International Mathematical Olympiad (WIMO) 2025, which will be held in January 2026.
Overall, Sarrat National High School bagged one world champion, one world first runner-up, four gold, one silver, two merit awards, and six perfect score awards. The team is led by Vallejo along with Allen Iver Barroga (World First runner-up, gold award, Leibniz award, Euclid award); Natalie Margaret Balisacan (silver award), Zyrene Angelica Dulluog (world first runner-up, gold award, Leibniz award, Euler award); Jushiem Barrog (gold award), Cyrus Dwayne Salibio (merit award), and Ivy Fiona Lagua (merit award).
Organizers said the Boole award is for logical thinking, Euler award for number theory, Leibniz award for Algebra, Euclid award for geometry, and Pascal award for combinatorics. (PNA)
