Medal haul in Science Olympiad

MANILA, Philippines - Three senior students from the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) won silver and gold medals in the recently concluded International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) held in Taipei, Taiwan.

Lance Co Ting Ke, of the PSHS main campus in Diliman, Quezon City bagged the silver medal while Ralph Ugalino, also of the PSHS-Diliman, and Gio Elegado of PSHS-Bicol each got bronze medals.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Codillo, fourth year student from the Catanduanes National High School, obtained the best presentation award for the international team investigation.

The Filipino students competed with 46 other participants from 17 countries including the United States, Japan, Italy, Thailand, India, United Kingdom and South Korea.

The Science Education Institute (SEI) of the Department of Science and Technology said the Philippines’ performance this year was an improvement from the second IESO where the country’s team got four bronze medals.

SEI director Ester Ogena said the recent destructive typhoons that hit the Philippines showed that there is a need for better understanding of the Earth.

Ogena said the Philippines needs more geologists and geodetic engineers as the country is considered perennially vulnerable to earthquakes and devastating typhoons.

“More earth scientists would provide more expertise in disaster management to prepare our people in case a calamity of such magnitude hits the Philippines once again,” she said.   – Helen Flores