Wizzards of Manila

Pinoy mathletes win 33 awards in India contest
Business Mirror
09December 2018

The victorious Philippine team at the awarding ceremony of the 8th International Youth Mathematicians Convention (IYMC) in Lucknow, India.

Young Filipino students have wrapped up 2018 on a high note, finishing overall first runner-up and winning 32 other awards in an international math contest in India.

The contestants, composed of junior and senior high school students, won 6 gold, 7 silver and 7 bronze medals in the individual competition, and 13 awards in the team, relay and math quiz in the 8th International Youth Mathematicians Convention (IYMC) held from Dec. 1 to 7 in Lucknow, India, according to the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG).

In the individual competition, MTG said, the winners are:

Gold medal

Maria Leianna Yutig – Philippine Science High School (Southern Mindanao)

Victor Dominic Naraval – BHC Educational Institution

Hans Benedict Gaw Te – Bacolod Tay Tung High School

Patrick Niño Policarpio – Far Eastern University Senior High School

Cristina Beatrice Mallari – St. Paul College-Pasig

Cristina Bianca Mallari – St. Paul College-Pasig

Silver medal

Bernabe Dy III – Pangasinan Universal Institute

Madelyn Esther Cruz – Philippine Science High School (Main)

Margaret Esther Cruz – Philippine Science High School (Main)

Wally Santos – Senator Renato Compañero Cayetano Memorial Science and Technology High School

Sanielle Meliz Ong – Saint John’s Institute

Sam Robertson Pelegrino – Upper Bicutan National High School

Mar Anderson Princer – De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute

Bronze medal

Kyle Xander Co – Bethany Christian School

Ronn Derick Simbol – BHC Educational Institution

Victor Ruben Yu – University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi

John Orbien Realuyo – University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi

Azzedine Abrencillo – International School for Better Beginnings

Iris Salangad – San Beda College-Alabang

Ma. Erica Therese Santos – Senator Renato Compañero Cayetano Memorial Science and Technology High School

The two Cruz sisters and Naraval, comprising team Senior-Philippines A, emerged as the overall first runner-up in the senior division after winning as champion in the team contest and math quiz, and second runner-up in the relay contest.

“The India contest is the last international competition for Filipino students in 2018 and we congratulate them for a job well done. 2018 is another victorious year for our young math wizards as they competed and won in international math contests in different countries. We will continue to train them for contests abroad,” said Dr. Isidro Aguilar, MTG president.

Besides winning individual medals, Filipino students also bagged other awards.

Emerging as champions in the team contest are Senior-Philippines C composed of the Mallari sisters and Ong, and Senior-Philippines F composed of Pelegrino, Princer and Kaizer Albert De Asis of Quezon City Christian Academy.

Team Junior-Philippines A’s Co, Simbol and Yu of won first runner-up in the relay contest and second runner-up in the team contest and math quiz.

Winning first runners-up in the team contest are Team Junior-Philippines C, composed of Marc Ferdinand Calica of the University of Santos Tomas Junior High School-Manila and Merlin Reign Sualibios of Elizabeth Seton School-South; Junior-Philippines B’s Dy, Realuyo and Yutig; and Senior-Philippines B’s Gaw Te, Policarpio and Santos.

Abrencillo, Parul Henry Gumarin of Taguig Science High School and Jaime Angelo Nery of GCF-International Christian School, comprising team Senior-Philippines D, won second runner-up in the team contest.

Accompanying the students to the contest were MTG’s Dr. Simon Chua, Renard Eric Chua and Aldwin Sahirul, and Executive Director Lilia Habacon of the Philippine Science High School System, who was also a guest of honor at the IYMC.

MTG said about 500 students competed in the contest from the Philippines, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and United Arab Emirates.

Learn English in Asia

You Might Want to Head to Asia to Learn English


Anas Alzharani
Asia Media International
08 December 2018

When non-native English speakers decide to learn English in a different country, the first locations that come to mind are the U.S and England, where English is the first language. Command over the English language is fundamental across the globe; it influences our professional and personal lives, including traveling. People are less likely to consider Asian countries although some have proven themselves to provide high -quality English educational tools. 

To have another language is to possess a second soul.” – Charlemagne

Recently, Singapore ranked number three on a survey conducted by Education First (EF), which is an international school that focuses on languages, cultural exchange, and educational travel. The survey covered 1.3 million people from 88 countries that transact heavily in the English language.

Which Asian countries to consider?

The Asian continent is vast, multicultural, and diverse. Singapore is an island city-state off southern Malaysia. It is a global financial center with a multicultural population. Singapore’s number three ranking for English proficiency was based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and EF’s course levels. Two other Asian countries rated highly or moderately proficient in English: the Philippines and Hong Kong. 

The graph presents EF English Proficiency Index of Asian countries. EF EPI is based on test data of the EF Standard English Test (EF SET). EF EPI score is calculated by the used of 100 point scale of the EF SET and the regional averages. Based on the result, it attributed countries, regions, and cities to proficiency bands. 

A new era of learning the foreign languages

Learning another language opens the road to new cultures, lifestyles, and adventures. It also enables people to expand international connections. Study abroad is the key, or at least a very good bet, for young people to learn a foreign language. And that key may in addition open the door to a better future.

Like Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”

World Class PH furniture

PH furniture takes world stage

Tessa Prieto-Valdez
Philippine Daily Inquirer| Lifestyle
08 December 2018


Philippine furniture design has evolved in the last three decades. From the traditional resort-style giant bamboo sofas and dining chairs, newer furniture pieces have transformed into more contemporary and fluid lines.

Mejore’s Makati retail showroom comes with a complete line of home furniture as well as carefully curated decors, accessories, lamps, painting and rugs.

World-class designs executed with materials indigenous to our country have made our local furniture pieces a sensation in the international market.  Filipino flair means combining the artistry of the Filipino craftsman with the unique tensile and flexible quality of local materials like bamboo and rattan.

Cebu furniture designers like Vito Selma and Kenneth Cobonpue have been pushing the boundaries of traditional styles. Through the decades, they have created and refined their signature style, such that their designs are now recognized in the international furniture industry.

One of Selma’s most popular works is the Cara-Boo, a Filipino take on the classic child’s rocking horse. It features a carabao tied to a handy storage box, an idea that stemmed from Selma’s carefree days as a child. Today, the globally recognized artist is looking for more ways to innovate his signature aesthetic. He works with both local and international businesses to create experimental furniture pieces that truly stand out.

Mejore vows to continue its innovative approach to its products to cater to the needs of the market.

Cebuano Kenneth Cobonpue was dubbed by Time magazine as “rattan’s first virtuoso” back in 2007. His world-class designs have attracted prominent clients from around the world, including members of the royal family and Hollywood stars like Ocean’s 11 actor Brad Pitt.   Cobonpue has also earned a number of international accolades. He continues to create his signature designs using materials native to the Philippines like bamboo and carbon fiber.

For the past three decades, Mejore Woodworks has seen the transformation of Philippine furniture design. Through the years, it has developed a team of skilled craftsmen and engineers in the art of furniture making. The company prides itself in maintaining consistency in quality and its innovative approach in developing unique products.

After several years of hiatus in the retail market, Mejore, the beloved furniture company of the ’80s and ’90s, quietly opened its Makati retail showroom in July 2017 with a home lifestyle concept store. The shop comes with a complete line of home furniture as well as carefully curated decors, accessories, lamps, painting and rugs.

All the furniture items in the store are proudly manufactured in the Philippines by the company’s team of in-house craftsmen and engineers who have mastered woodworking and furniture making for more than three decades. Mejore also prides itself in sourcing local materials and incorporating traditional Filipino woven design patterns that make use of rattan, abaca and raffia, among others.

With its re-entry in the retail industry, Mejore vows to continue its innovative approach to its products to cater to the needs of the market. It recently launched the Nathalie collection, a small line of furniture that reflects a departure from the more traditional and elaborately finished furniture it was once known for. The Valeria Sofabed, for example, is a streamlined and elegant-looking two-seater sofa that transforms into a queen-sized bed. The design is a direct response to the changing market preference for sleeker looking furniture that can fit into smaller spaces. Similarly, the Leonor daybed, evokes a timeless design that draws elements from traditional Filipino weaving techniques, but incorporating a more contemporary look with its elegant curves.

As Mejore’s retail business picks-up from where it left off several years ago, the company looks back to the time when Jose Ong and his daughter-in-law Nathalie founded the company in 1983. At that time, with over 20 years of supplying raw materials to the wood industry, they dreamed of not only supplying wood but also creating unique products that that can be appreciated and enjoyed by homeowners.

In its early days, the company forged several partnerships with US-based companies to manufacture and export its products to renowned companies such as Lane Venture, Henredon, Hickory Chair, Habersham and EJ Victor.

Its subsequent absence from the retail scene in the past decade however allowed itself to continue to hone its craft by servicing the local contract market, snagging big projects with clients such as Amanpulo, Henan Resorts, The Lind Boracay and Somerset Alabang.

Today, Mejore is managed and operated by third-generation owners, Claire and Lorraine Ong, sisters working in tandem to keep their family’s legacy alive. As such, while the designs and aesthetics of the furniture pieces may have evolved, Mejore’s heritage for creating export-quality and luxurious pieces remains part of each of the item in its product portfolio.