MANILA, Philippines – Luisa Kristabel “Abbey” Manliclic won’t watch the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama on television. Unlike most of her peers, she has the rare chance to see the swearing-in of the first Black-American president right in the US capital.

Abbey, a Filipino exchange student in Arizona, is one of the lucky Filipinos invited to Washington when Obama takes his oath from Chief Justice John Roberts on the steps of the Capitol on January 20.

“I feel great, it’s like a chance of a lifetime,” Abbey said in an interview with GMANews.TV. “He’s the first Black-American president so the event would be nothing short of great.”

The 17-year-old Youth for Understanding scholar was chosen for being an exemplary student at the Mohave High School in Bullhead city in Arizona. Abbey’s father, Abel, a Manila-based businessman, said he feels proud of her daughter’s accomplishments.

But like any excited parent, Abel gave a few instructions to his daughter before she meets with the president.

“I told her it might be impossible to take a picture with her and Obama, “Abel told GMANews.TV, “So she should take a picture with his wife, Michelle instead.”

But Abbey has a plan of her own. In case she bumps into the president, the straight-A student wants to ask a few questions from the world’s most powerful man.

“I want to ask him how he would deal with the economy and the war,” she said.

Aside from Abbey, two more students from the Philippines have reserved slots for the historic oath-taking in Washington.

College freshmen Paul Michael Thomas Cruz and Anna Marie Liwanag have been invited to the inauguration of America’s 44th president later this month.

The two were selected for the honor by the University Presidential Inaugural Conference (UPIC) for their exemplary performance during the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) in Washington and New York in 2007 while they were still high school seniors at Reedley International School in Manila’s suburb of Pasig.

However, the travel expenses amounting to $4,000 or about P200,000 each will not be paid for by the conference that granted them the invitation.

“Right now I’m raising funds. I’m writing letters to different people and trying to look for sponsors,” said Liwanag. GMANews.tv

MANILA, Philippines—It’s still a long way away from the Philippines’ first Nobel Prize, but for these whiz kids, it may well be a good first baby step.

Six students from Philippine Science High School (PSHS) won six medals at a prestigious science tournament in South Korea early this month, proving that Filipinos can go toe-to-toe with the best in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

The seniors and juniors from the state-run PSHS brought home three silver and three bronze medals from the 5th International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) in Changwon City on Dec. 6-15.

First started in 2004, the Olympiad drew some 250 science wizards aged 15 or younger from more than 40 countries.

“I felt so proud. We never expected to do so well considering that we had less than a month to prepare,” said Benjamin Francis Rodriguez Jr., a junior who had the highest marks among the Philippine delegates.

“It just goes to show that Filipinos can compete with other countries” in the natural sciences, Rodriguez told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Jan Tristram Acuña and William Tan, both seniors, also won silver medals, while the bronze medalists were Guia Publico, Cara Evangelista and Ralph Ugalino.

Acuña said the examination proper had three parts: A 30-item multiple choice, a theoretical exam with three questions, one each for physics, chemistry and biology, and group experiment on each subject.

“Before the exam, we were always in a huddle, reviewing and asking each other questions that may be asked in the exam,” he said.

“On the whole, the Asians, including us, were more reserved and silent. The Europeans were the party people types,” Acuña said.

Cramming sessions

He said the group felt a bit disadvantaged upon learning that some of the other nationals, especially the Taiwanese, spent several months preparing, compared to their own “cramming” sessions.

“We didn’t have much time to prepare for the contest due to school activities and lessons but while we were there we studied every night before the contest proper,” Tan said.

He said winning silver was “quite unexpected.”

Helen Caintic, the PSHS executive director who accompanied the students, said: “This is a proud moment for all Filipinos. Once again, we have shown what Filipinos are made of.”

Acuña said winning a silver medal meant that a competitor fell within the top 20 percent of the contestant pool and a bronze within the top 30 percent. A gold medalist, on the other hand, was among the top 10 percent.

6 points away from gold

Only Korea and Taiwan won gold medals for each of their six delegates, according to a Taiwanese news website. Thailand, like the Philippines, won six medals—two golds and four silvers, a Thai news website reported.

Acuña said the Philippines “almost got a gold,” with Rodriguez and him just six points away from the cutoff. He added that Rodriguez was ahead of him by 0.5 point.

He said the test questions tended to favor the host countries, which typically patterned the exam according to their own curriculums.

“It appeared that the questionnaire, as in previous competitions, was biased in favor of the hosting countries,” Acuña said.

For instance, Indonesia won top honors in the two years it hosted the event, as did Taiwan and Korea.

According to the IJSO website, the Philippines won only two silvers and a bronze in the previous Olympiad.

Rodriguez said this year’s competition made him realize that Filipinos can compete with other nationals in science and mathematics despite the dismal state of education here.

“It can really be done,” said the 15-year-old, who wants to take up medicine at the University of the Philippines when he graduates next year.

Doing well in competitions

Tan said the Philippines had actually been doing well in scholastic competitions.

“Among science high schools, the curriculum in the Philippines is advanced compared to other countries, while among ordinary schools, we are not lagging behind other countries in terms of what they are studying,” he said.

Tan said he drew this conclusion after the competition proper. “The other delegates asked us how we dealt with the exam. Through that we were able to see what they knew and what they didn’t,” he said.

But Acuña thought differently. “With other developing nations, we can compete. But with advanced countries like China, I think we’re one or two years behind.”

Acuña and Tan said they wanted to pursue a degree in physics from the University of the Philippines. Both said they would not mind the less than lucrative jobs that might await them when they finished school.

“Physics is really my passion … In my spare time, I try to solve complicated physics problems,” Acuña said. “My friends find it weird.”

Meager funding

But he said most other Filipino students wanting to specialize in the natural sciences lacked incentive to do so because of little government support and meager funding.

Rodriguez said there were actually many good Filipino scientists, but excellent science research required proper facilities, like laboratories.

Which begged the question: Is a Filipino winning a Nobel Prize for medicine, physics or chemistry an impossible dream at this point?

Acuña replied: “It’s not impossible but it’s going to be very tough … We still have a long way to go before we can catch up with the developed countries.”

Added Tan: “I’m not saying it’s impossible to win a Nobel Prize with the way things are going, but it is going to be difficult.”

But Rodriguez was far more optimistic: “I really think we can make it. All it’s going to take is support from government and a lot of hard work.” Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines – An overseas Filipino teacher has been inducted into one of the most prestigious international awards in the field of adult and continuing education.

Mumbai-based Maria Lourdes Almazan Khan was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame last December 4 in Budapest, Hungary, becoming the first and only Filipino to be given the honor since it was established in 1995.

According to the Hall of Fames’ website, election into it “acknowledges that these men and women have made distinguished contributions to the field of adult and continuing education.”

Khan is the secretary-general of the Mumbai-based Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education, which she transformed into an important adult education and civil society network in the Asia Pacific region.

The organization is apparently recognized regionally and internationally for its promotion of education work in general, and adult and continuing education work in particular.

Khan has reportedly also been a strong advocate for adult and continuing education by urging governments and private individuals to commit to providing education for all most specifically to the disadvantaged and marginalized.

Khan took her undergraduate studies at the University of the Philippines and her Masters in Rural Development at the University of East Anglia in Norwich in 1990.

She currently lives in Mumbai, India with her husband, Azeez Khan, the principal secretary (Industries) of the Indian state of Maharashtra. GMANews.tv

GMA News

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 39 medals, two of them gold, were garnered by the Philippine delegates during the recently concluded 2008 International Mathematics Competition (IMC) in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

In a statement, Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines head of delegation and President Dr. Simon Chua said Filipino students hauled two gold medals, 15 silvers and 22 bronze medals.

“Our contestants rose above the challenge and proved that they can compete with other students from other countries. We at the Mathematics Trainers Guild Philippines are very happy with their outstanding performance,” Dr. Chua said.

The Philippine delegation arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday night.

Ma. Czarina Angela Lao from St. Jude Catholic School, who was the lone gold medalist from the country in the elementary individual competition, won the first gold medal for the Philippines.

The other gold medal was won by Philippine Team A composed of Geraldine Baniqued of St. Paul College Pasig, Carmela Antoinette Lao of St. Jude Catholic School, Aileen Giselle Chua of Grace Christian High School and Jillian Kristel Sy of Chiang Kai Shek College.

They are also the same team that won 14 gold medals during last year’s competition in Hong Kong, the statement said.

Thailand Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and Thailand Education Minister Srimuang Charoensiri opened the math competition on October 26, underscoring the importance of the contest, which drew 25 countries including math powerhouse China.

Philippine Team A in the elementary bagged a silver medal in the team competition. They are Austin Edrich Chua, Ma. Czarina Angela Lao, John Thomas Chuatak, all of St. Jude Catholic School and Aldrich Aldwin Mayoralgo of Xavier School. Philippine Teams E and A bagged bronze medals in the group category.

The silver medalists from the Philippines in the elementary individual contest are Dielle Tio of St. Stephen’s High School, Hubert Yao of Iloilo Central Commercial High School, Sean Timothy Cheng of Grace Christian High School, and Aldrich Aldwin Mayoralgo of Xavier School.

In the secondary division, the individual silver medalists are Carlo Francisco Adajar of PAREF Southridge in Alabang, Vance Eldric Go of St. Jude Catholic School, Ricci Ryan Rojo of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School, Geraldine Baniqued of St. Paul College Pasig, John Russell Virata of Gideon Academy and Jillian Kristel Sy of Chiang Kai Shek College.

The bronze medalists in the individual contest in the IMC are:

* Philip Lizarda of San Beda College, Alabang;

* Austin Edrich Chua of St. Jude Catholic School;

* Andrew Joelle Caguntas of Bangkal Elementary School;

* Jakov Ivan Dumbrique of St. Paul College, Ilocos Sur;

* Martin Lewis Koa of St. Jude Catholic School;

* Richard Milante of Legazpi Hope Christian School;

* Jason Allan Tan of Jubilee Christian Academy;

* Arnold Lindros Lau of Xavier School;

* Mary Kryslette Bunyi of San Beda College Alabang;

* Regina Paz Onglao of St. Paul College Pasig;

* Carmela Antoinette Lao of St. Jude Catholic School;

* Evan Niccolo Lao of Xavier School;

* Alvin Uy Lim of Quezon City Science High School;

* Ervin Fredrick Dy of Chiang Kai Shek College;

* Elvis Jeremy Ayroso of Philippine Science High School;

* Arielle Elise Chua of St. Jude Catholic School;

* Aileen Giselle Chua of Grace Christian High School;

* Charles Rainier Belga of Taguig Science High School;

* Joel Edward Cardinal of Makati Science High School;

* Sterling Alvin Tiu of St. Stephen’s High School;

* John Thomas Chuatak of St. Jude Catholic School;

* Aileen Jennifer Cu of UNO High School;

* Joelle Sophia Pena of Saint Pedro Poveda College; and

* Sarah Jane Cua of Pangasinan Universal Institute

Besides the Philippines, other countries that participated in the contest are Australia, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Thailand, Canada, Laos, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Germany, Iran, Rwanda, South Africa, and Cyprus.

The Philippines placed fourth among 25 countries with math powerhouse China topping the contest with 51 medals followed by host Thailand with 49 and Indonesia, 41. Trailing the Philippines are Taiwan, 37; Bulgaria, 25; Hong Kong, 23; Singapore, 16; Malaysia, 10; and South Korea, 10.

The trainers and coaches of the students are Dr. Eduardo Dela Cruz, dean of the School of Education and Normal of Arellano University; Sid Aguilar, supervisor of DepEd Taguig City; Priscilla De Sagun, assistant schools division superintendent of Makati; Levita Portugal of the Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology; Roberto Degolacion, Manuel Kotah, Emmanuel Pena, Jonathan Glorial, all team and deputy team leaders.

GMA News

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino scientist currently studying in the United States has found a new source of coherent light, like lasers, which only potentially needs lower power to operate, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said on Wednesday.

In a press statement, the DOST’s Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) said Ryan Balili, together with his adviser David Snoke of University of Pittsburgh, were able to demonstrate that the transition of particles into waves could be done at higher temperature which would require lesser power to generate.

The phenomenon is called Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC), named after Indian physicist Satyendranath Bose who worked on the statistics of monoatomic ideal gases and Albert Einstein who speculated this macroscopic coherent state.

“Einstein proposed that at very low temperatures a certain type of identical particles, now called bosons, would’collapse,’ or condense, into a single quantum mechanical wave.

“However, in Balili’s work, he was able to demonstrate the same phenomenon at higher temperatures using polaritons, an energy particle which exists only in a medium that can be polarized by an electromagnetic wave,” the statement explained.

It quoted Balili as saying that the main challenge was making the polariton transition into a BEC even if polaritons exist only for very short times, approximately a few picoseconds.

Nevertheless, Balili and his adviser were able to trap polaritons which turned into a single, spatially compact condensate of gas analogous to atomic BEC.

“One way to think of a polariton BEC is that it is a state of matter that has some of the properties of a laser and some of the properties of a superconductor,” the DOST-SEI statement said.

Balili and his group at the University of Pittsburgh said that what they were able to show is that the emitted light of the polariton BEC and its electrons are coherent, which is a property of superconductors that allows it to make electric current flow without resistance and wavelike interference of electrical signals.

He said that the most promising applications of the polaritons BEC are in optical devises which takes advantage of laser-like sources at low-power coherent light sources.

“This may be useful for signaling, switching, and amplification in optical communications,” he said.

Balili, a 2002 summa cum laude Bachelor of Science in Physics graduate of the Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology, is currently taking up his doctorate in Physics at the University of Pittsburgh where he also finished his Master of Science in Physics.

Balili was a scholar of the DOST during his undergraduate years.

Dr. Ester B. Ogena, director of the DOST-SEI, lauded Balili’s work saying his discovery is a manifestation of the caliber of scholars the DOST is getting every year.

“We are the germination box of soon-to-be great names in the science and technology world. Balili is just one of them and every year we get around 3,500 scholars who in the future would propel the Philippines into first world status,” she said in the statement.

Ogena expressed optimism that more DOST-SEI scholars would make a mark in science and technology with the implementation of the Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program (ASTHRDP) and the Engineering Research and Development for Technology Program (ERDTP) which provides students to proceed to the MS and PhD studies as a scholar.

“We are beefing up our critical mass of scientists and engineers through the ASTHRDP and ERDTP by providing them with scholarships in our top universities,” she said.

Ogena avowed to continuously entice students to venture into science careers through promotional programs and scholarship grants.

“We shall be at the forefront of science and technology human resources development and create the necessary critical mass of scientists and engineers the Philippines needs,” she said.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — Mac, the Filipino-made explosives disposal robot, has just succeeded in first mission.

The one-armed, night-seeing robot developed by students from the Mapua Institute of Technology won the top prize in the recently held First World Cup of Computer-Implemented Inventions in Shanghai, China, said Senior Supt. Gilbert Cruz, Makati City police chief.

“We have prepared a hero’s welcome for Mac and the team,” Cruz said over the phone Wednesday.

According to Cruz, Mac beat entries from 84 countries which joined the event.

He said Mac — short for mechanical anti-terrorist concept — and his team of creators from Mapua led by John Judilla–arrived Tuesday night via Philippine Air Lines.

Cruz himself commissioned the development of the robot to help members of the city’s Bomb Disposal Unit handle bomb threats that business establishments in Makati receive every week.

The robot was unveiled in Makati’s business district last week.

GMA News

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino priest will open the first Catholic university in Ethiopia in Eastern African, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Tuesday.

The CBCP website (www.cbcpnews.com) said Dominican priest Virgilio Ojoy will head the Ethiopia Catholic University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Ecusta) in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

“There was this world-wide search among Dominicans but the qualifications were quite stringent,” said Ojoy, who will be the founding rector of Ecusta.

Ojoy, who will formally assume the new post in January 2009, plans to focus on three areas — a strong skeletal force, a fundraising office, and adequate facilities.

Ethiopia is a progressive African country with a population of 83.1 million, 61 percent of whom are Christians.

“I will have a careful recruitment of qualified, competent and committed skeletal force, both from the Philippines and in Ethiopia,” Ojoy said, referring to professors, administrators, and a support staff.

CBCP said the initiative of establishing an educational institution in Africa came from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE).

In turn, CBCE which sought help from the Dominican Order of Preachers.

The CBCP cited an article in The Varsitarian, the student paper of the Dominican-run University of Santo Tomas, that the Dominican Master agreed to send friars to put up the university in Ethiopia.

Under a memorandum of agreement between the Dominicans and CBCE, the Catholic university in Ethiopia will be owned by the Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia, but administered by the Dominicans.

Among the key requirements to qualify for the position were the attainment of a doctorate degree in any field and an administrative experience of at least 15 years, which became Ojoy’s edge over other candidates.

“There are quite a number of Dominican priests with doctorate degrees in the Order. But only few have 15 years experience in administration. For those who were qualified, their provinces were not willing to give them up,” Ojoy said.

Azpiroz then asked the Philippine Dominican Province to provide personnel for the school, which will open this year in Addis Ababa.

The foundation of Ecusta was highlighted in the Acts of the General Chapter of the Order in Bogota, Colombia last year.

It had noted that Filipino Dominicans have put up a community in Addis Ababa, the House of St. Augustine of Hippo, and that the opening of the new university, with five faculties temporarily at Nazareth High School, was “imminent.”

Also, the chapter cited that the university would be an undertaking of the entire Dominican family, noting that the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, which runs Siena College in Manila, has been invited to join.

Meanwhile, the CBCE appointed last December priests Abba Tsegaye Keneni as project director and Abba Ketema Asfaw Weldeyes as vice-president of Ecusta.

The university is expected to open this September.

“Ecusta could operate starting September if the government would grant the permit to begin the school operations,” said Ojoy, formerly the vice-rector of UST.

The new university has been assured of a one-million euro subsidy from Italy, Ethiopia’s former colonizer, for the first five years of operation.

Still, Ojoy still wants to have an office for fundraising, whose proceeds will go to equipment needed inside classrooms.

The university will initially operate with five courses, including Education Management, Literature, Philosophy, Arts, and Sciences.

Also, Ojoy said the new staff and faculty of Ecusta would be trained in UST and seek experts from UST to help in Ethiopia in the operations of the university.

Ojoy graduated cum laude in 1978 from the Dominican House of Studies.
He then received a meritissimus in UST after finishing his Masters in Higher Religious Theology.

He finished his licentiate in Higher Religious Studies in UST and later earned his doctorate in Higher Religious Studies and another doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.

Among the academic positions which he had held in UST were acting dean and regent of the Faculty of Arts and Letters (1990-1991), secretary general (1991-1992), and vice rector (1992-1995).

At the Angelicum School of Iloilo, he was high school moderator (1983-1984). Ojoy also became a rector and president of Aquinas University in Legazpi City, Albay (1995 -1999).

GMA News

MANILA, Philippines – Fourteen high school students from the Philippines were awarded gold medals in the annual International Mathematics Contest (IMC) prize presentation held in Singapore on Sunday, July 20.

Among the 14 gold medalists was senior Angeline Beniqued from St. Paul College who returned to the Philippines on Tuesday, July 22. Beniqued had to give up her time for recreation so that she could have a year to prepare for the competition.

At first, Beniqued was intimidated by the 400 delegates from China because she thought they were better than her in Math. But in the end, she was able to prove that she was more intelligent than her opponents.

“I devote time for it so I guess that means that I really like it,” said Beniqued referring to Math, her favorite subject.

The other Filipino participants snagged 24 silver medals and 32 bronze medals besting other students from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, and India.

Its Web site says that IMC is a cooperative organization composed of groups and individuals who are devoted in “popularizing the young people’s Mathematics education around the world.”

A statement from the organization also said that outstanding students had obtained scholarships from famous schools around the world by winning awards at the IMC.

The contest is supported by various schools and organizations from Singapore, New Zealand, United States, Russia, Philippines, India, and China.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA — Sarah Cua, 14, thought she would end up a runner-up in a numbers game against competitors from five other countries when somebody finished the last puzzle ahead of her.

But when the winners were called, the Filipino teen from Pangasinan was declared champion of a Sudoku tournament in the Asia-Pacific in Singapore on Saturday.

The number-placement puzzle challenges players to fill empty blocks in nine-by-nine squares with the correct digits so that each row, column and quadrant will have digits one to nine without any repetition.

“The last puzzle was so difficult, it was an expert-level puzzle and the time limit was 50 minutes. I passed [my finished puzzle before the limit]. Somebody finished ahead of me but, unfortunately, she made a mistake,” Cua said at the airport on Sunday.

She said she was too shocked. “It was really unexpected,” she told reporters upon arriving in Manila Sunday afternoon.

Cua, a second-year high school student at the Pangasinan Universal Institute, bested 50 other contestants from China, Malaysia, Thailand, India, host country Singapore and the Philippines in the Sudoku open that accepted Asian players of all ages.

Besting five other Filipino players, Cua took the champion’s trophy and 10,000 Singapore dollars (more than P330,000), finishing the final puzzle in 15 minutes with all digit entries correct.

She also took home a hamper of products from brain vitamin BRAND’s, organizer and host of the Sudoku challenge.

“When it was down to 5, the Malaysian contestant finished first so we felt we had a second-placer. But when all contestants finished the puzzle, the one who submitted first was declared fifth-placer because she was incorrect. So we had a champion,” said Cua’s coach, Sid Aguilar of the Philippines’ Mathematics Trainers’ Guild (MTG).

The championship came two years since Cua solved her first Sudoku puzzle, which she encountered through training with the MTG.

A consistent topnotcher in her school, Cua was among math whiz kids that the MTG, an organization of Filipino math teachers, took under its wings and trained for mathematics competitions in the Philippines and abroad.

Competing against a crop that included fellow teeners and professionals, Cua showed a fighting chance early in the competition, only her second math competition abroad for which she had spent several weeks training.

She placed 6th among 15 players that pushed on to the second round after the easy-level challenge. In the next rounds, she consistently placed first.

“She became the darling of the press during the marathon competition because she was consistently making first place so all cameras were on her. She was already leading so she began feeling nervous,” Aguilar said.

As cameras clicked away into the final round, Cua zeroed in on her game as it required intense focus and analysis. It was just her against a game sheet with 22 digits as the only clues in an 81-block puzzle.

“I calmed down and I just didn’t mind [the people] around me. I just concentrated [on the puzzle],” she told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

An intense math trainee since third grade, Cua is bound for Singapore again this week for the International Mathematics Competition on July 18.

Responding to a joke on why she didn’t just stay in the city-state until her next contest, Cua said with a shy chuckle: “Because I have to go to class.”