Math Wizzards in Hong Kong

Filipino elementary students bag 11 awards in world math contest 

Philippine Star

21 July 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Eight Filipino elementary students recently brought pride to the country as they reaped 11 awards in an international math competition in Hong Kong.

Filipino students and their coaches at the awarding ceremony of the 22nd Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest in Hong Kong. Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines/Released

The Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines said the eight Grade 5 students represented the Philippines and competed against 144 other students at the 22nd Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest held from July 15 to 19 in Hong Kong.

They won two silver and four bronze medals in the individual contest while four silver medals and a trophy were earned by the delegation in the team category.

MTG said the winning silver medals in the individual contest are Jerome Austin Te of Jubilee Christian Academy and Michael Gerard Tongson of Stonyhurst Southville International School-Malarayat.

On the other hand, the individual bronze medalists are Kody Briones of Emmanuel Christian School, Iris Lexi Ababon of Colegio San Agustin-Makati, Sophie Jill Co of Pace Academy and Sean Jang of Elizabeth Seton School-South.

Ian Gabriel Hong of Pace Academy, Tongson, Te and Briones meanwhile snagged the first-runner up trophy for the team contest. The Philippine Team A were awarded silver medals and a trophy. 

MTG president Isidro Aguilar said they were very proud of the young students.

“We congratulate our Filipino contestants for winning awards in the contest,” Aguilar said.

Aside from the Philippines, students from countries such as the US, Australia, South Korea, China, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore and Vietnam also joined the math contest. — Rosette Adel 

Philippines is Mr. Gay World 2019

Filipino crowned Mr. Gay World 2019

ABS-CBN News

May 05 2019 

Share

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

MANILA - John Jeffrey "Janjep" Carlos became the second Filipino and Asian to win the Mr. Gay World crown after winning this year's pageant in South Africa. 

Carlos, who hails from Cavite, bested 21 other candidates in the final round of the pageant in Cape Town, South Africa on May 4 (May 5 in Manila). 

He joins fellow Filipino John Fernandez Raspado took the crown in 2017. 

Carlos succeeded Mr. Gay World 2018 Jordan Bruno, an Australian national, for the crown.

Spain's Francisco Alvarado was crowned 1st runner up, followed by Hungary's Oliver Pusztan (2nd runner up), Thailand's Cjayudhom Samibat (3rd runner up) and Belgium's Nick Van Vooren (4th runner up) 

In his introduction video posted on the Mr Gay World 2019 Youtube channel, Carlos said mental health awareness was one of his main advocacies, particularly the fight against depression. 

"Depression is real, and it has caused the tragic loss of lives. Depression is a real illness that can be treated if properly diagnosed," he said.

"With love and understanding of people undergoing depression, this illness can be transformed into wellness." 

Pinoy Math wizzards in Hanoi

Pinoy students bag 10 medals at int'l math contest

Donna Magsino

GMA News

April 7, 2019 

Eight Filipino junior and senior high school students brought home the bacon after competing at an international math competition held in Vietnam this month, according to the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG) on Sunday.

"This is the first international math contest for MTG students this year and we laud them for their achievement," said Dr. Isidro Aguilar, MTG president.

Two of them bagged gold medals: Grade 10 students Bryce Ainsley Sanchez of Grace Christian College and Immanuel Josiah Balete of St. Stephen’s High School.

On the other hand, Grade 8 students Enzo Rafael Chan of Bayanihan Institute-Tarlac and Rickson Caleb Tan of MGC New Life Christian Academy won silver medals.

The bronze medalists were Cassidy Kyler Tan, Grade 8, Davao Christian High School; Noel Stephen Dequito, Grade 8, Xavier School Nuvali; Daryll Carlsten Ko, Grade 10, St. Stephen's High School; and Issam Wang, Grade 10, Manila Science High School.

Two more bronze medals were won by the Filipino students in the team contest.

From April 2 to 6, 2019, around 700 students from China, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam participated in the said math competition organized by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training and Hanoi Mathematical Society. — LA, GMA News

PH is Regional leader in Antitrust laws

Philippines Steps Up Regional Edge In Antitrust Law Enforcement

By Marvie Chorawan-Basilan

Feb 21, 2019 

A view of nickel ore stockpiles at a port in Sta Cruz Zambales in northern Philippines February 8, 2017. (Photo: REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo)

The Philippines is gradually transforming into a regional leader in the enforcement of antitrust laws as the Southeast Asian country jumped to 5^th place in 2018's Asia-Pacific policy records.

According to local newspaper The Philippine Star, competition news and analysis firm Policy and Regulatory Report (PaRR) revealed in its 2019 "Global Trends Monitor" report that the Philippines stepped up three places higher in the top 10 Asia-Pacific list of economies that allow for fair competition in trade and business.

PaRR's report noted that the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) enhanced its authority, thus strengthening the monitoring activities of markets or trade practices that could be hampering growth in some business sectors in the country.

"The Philippine Competition Commission is strengthening its enforcement framework this year with the introduction of a leniency program and the addition of rules on forbearance and dawn raids to its arsenal of investigative tools," part of the report stated.

Last year, the Philippine antitrust agency recorded a total of 40 acquisition transactions and mergers, accounting for PHP438 billion. Of the M&A transactions recorded, 33 were given the approval to proceed with the projects.

In April, the agency released a draft of guidelines that seek to benefit joint ventures. The merger notification threshold for Philippine exchange was also raised to PHP5 billion.

This year, the PCC is looking to focus on chain logistics, petroleum refining, sugar and pesticides manufacturing, corn milling and trading, and other trading programs that seek to enhance fair exchange in the Philippines, the report added.

Another country that made a significant rise in the ranks is Indonesia. The report found that Indonesia has climbed to 6^th place, one level higher from its 7^th spot record in 2017. The top three economies in antitrust enforcement practices are China, Australia, and South Korea respectively.

AEC News Today reported that Indonesia appointed new competition commissioners as part of its efforts in enforcing antitrust policies. This move also echoed the ASEAN member nations' October move of establishing the Asean Competition Enforcers Network - a program that encourages Asean states to cooperate on competition cases.

Other Asian countries also joined the fight against unfair trade standards as Myanmar eased its foreign investment rules last year and Singapore approved amendments to its competition law.

For its part in the global reinvention of antitrust policies, Vietnam fined companies that engaged in anticompetitive conduct, including Grab. In addition, Thailand finally granted conditional clearance to Glow Energy to imply its willingness in the Asia-Pacific region's goals of providing the trade industry with justifiable practices that will benefit both giants, small, and medium-sized operations.

Second Fastest Emerging Market

Oxford Economics: PH will be 2nd fastest 

growing emerging market in 2019-2028



Ben O. de Vera
Inquirer.net
20 February 2019

MANILA, Philippines — With an expanding labor force, the Philippines will be eclipsed only by India among emerging markets (EMs) expected to post the fastest economic growth in the next 10 years.

In a February 15 report, UK-based Oxford Economics projected the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by an average of 5.3 percent between 2019 and 2028, only outpaced by India’s 6.5 percent.

For 2019, Oxford Economics had said its expects the Philippines’ GDP growth at 6.1 percent, below the government’s 7-8 percent target range.

China and Indonesia’s economies were both seen expanding by 5.1 percent during the 10-year period; Malaysia, 3.8 percent; Turkey, 3 percent; Thailand, 2.9 percent; Chile, 2.6 percent; Poland, 2.5 percent; and South Africa, 2.3 percent.

The labor force in the Philippines was projected to increase by an average of 2.3 percent during the next 10 years, the fastest among the 10 emerging markets.

The labor force growth figure was computed by Oxford Economics as the number of people in the labor force multiplied to the average number of hours worked.

Total factor productivity growth was seen at 1 percent, while capital deepening or the contribution of capital accumulation to labor productivity growth was projected to rise by 1.6 percent from 2019 and 2028.

In a report titled “Sustained growth in EMs calls for thrift and innovation,” Oxford Economics said that while “countries with higher gross domestic saving (as a share of GDP) tend to have higher trend growth… the Philippines seems to be a major outlier, but its domestic savings are supplemented heavily by remittances.” /kga

World"s Top Internet User

Philippines tops world internet usage index with an average 10 hours a day

South-east Asia has three countries in the top five, while Japan comes in last 

Kate Lamb| The Guardian

01 February 2019

South-east Asia is one of the most internet-addicted regions on the planet, with the Philippines topping the global list with an average 10 hours and 2 minutes of screen time every day.

The Philippines topped the internet usage index, with two other south-east Asian nations in the top five. Photograph: Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images

The country was joined in the top five by Thailand and Indonesia, according to findings in a new report on online habits released by HootSuite and We Are Social.

Ranked third, people in Thailand were found to spend an average 9 hours and 11 minutes online each day, while those in neighbouring Indonesia also devoted more than a third of their day to screen time, clocking in at 8 hours and 36 minutes on average.

Developing nations from south-east Asia and Latin America dominated the internet usage index, with Brazil and Colombia ranked second and fourth, respectively.

Asia also featured at the other end of the spectrum, with people in Japan spending the least amount of time online – at an average of 3 hours and 45 minutes.

The report reveals 57% of the global population is now connected to the internet, spending an average 6.5 hours online each day, leading its author, Simon Kemp, to calculate that the “world’s digital community will spend a combined total of more than 1.2bn years using the internet in 2019”.

The findings from the Digital 2019 report show that most time spent online is done via mobile devices, with the greatest portion of that time spent on social media. It also charts an exponential increase in the number of new internet users.

“The big story in this year’s data is the accelerating growth in internet users,” Kemp wrote, “More than 360 million people came online for the first time in 2018, at an average rate of more than one million new users every day.”

The country that experienced the biggest jump in internet usage in 2018 was India, which also struggled to counter the violent repercussions of viral fake news – with false rumours about child kidnappers spread on the messaging service WhatsApp leading to mob lynching and the murder of more than two dozen people.

The south Asian nation saw the number of internet users jump by almost 100 million last year, nearly doubling the same growth in China, with internet penetration in India now at 41%.