Home News
Latest
Whiz kids figure in Math olympiad PDF Print E-mail
Written by George Robert Valencia III, S&T Media Service, STII   
Thursday, 31 January 2013 06:24

The 15th Philippine Mathematical Olympiad winner Justin Edric Yturzaeta (middle) of the Jubilee Christian Academy is joined by other math whizzes Mikaela Angelina Uy of the Saint Jude Catholic School and Farrell Eldrian Wu of the MGC New Life Christian Academy. The three will be further trained by the Mathematical Society of the Philippines for the 54th International Mathematical Olympiad in Santa Marta, Colombia in July this year

Math whizzes. The 15th Philippine Mathematical Olympiad winner Justin Edric Yturzaeta (middle) of the Jubilee Christian Academy is joined by other math whizzes Mikaela Angelina Uy of the Saint Jude Catholic School and Farrell Eldrian Wu of the MGC New Life Christian Academy. The three will be further trained by the Mathematical Society of the Philippines for the 54th International Mathematical Olympiad in Santa Marta, Colombia in July this year. (Photo by Marco D. Melgar, S&T Media Service, DOST-SEI)

 

Edric Yturzaeta, 16, of the Jubilee Christian Academy topped this year's Philippine Mathematical Olympiad (PMO) held January 26, 2013 in De La Salle University Manila.

Yturzaeta bested 3,400 high school students from all over the country who competed for the PMO qualifying exam last year. Placing second and third respectively are Mikaela Angelina Uy, 17, of St. Jude Catholic School and Farrell Eldrian Wu, 12, of MGC New Life Christian Academy.

Yturzaeta received P15,000 and a medal, plus trophy for his school. Meanwhile, Uy received P10,000 while Wu got P5,000, plus a medal for each, a trophy for each respective school. The coaches individually received P5,000 and a certificate.

“I had no idea I will win in the country's toughest and most prestigious math tournament,”  he said. “Thank God much for the blessing.”

Topping the PMO, however, does not guarantee a seat in the Philippine delegation for the IMO, according to Mathematical Society of the Philippines President Jumela Sarmiento.

“The three winners will still undergo subsequent trainings and tests by the MSP, together with the other 17 finalists, which is part of its  ‘stringent but necessary’ selection process,” she said.

"But more or less, the PMO is the closest math competition we have to the IMO because the level of difficulty and the format of the questions are already similar or comparable to IMO,” Dr. Sarmiento said.

The 54th IMO will be held in Santa Marta, Colombia on July 18 -28 this year.

The country’s highest awards so far in the IMO were two silver medals by Jerome Khohayting of Xavier School in 1989 and Carmela Lao of Saint Jude Catholic School in 2010. The country also won a number of bronzes.

It is not farfetched that Filipino contenders can soon get the gold.  “Judging from the quality of the finalists and winners of the PMO, it is exciting to look forward to [them] bringing home that highly-coveted gold", said Dr. Brawner.

Organized by the MSP, the 15th PMO was sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)'s Science Education Institute which is mandated to develop the science, engineering, and mathematics education in the country.

The PMO, conceived in 2008 as a venue to identify and reward mathematics excellence among students in the country, has enabled the Philippines to carry on its medal haul in the International Mathematical Olympiad, the most prestigious mathematics competition in the world," said DOST-SEI Director Filma Brawner. “ The high degree of competition in the PMO brings out the potential of our math students.”

 

 
 
DOST’s new lab to cut scan procedure costs PDF Print E-mail
Written by Allan Ace Aclan, S & T Media Service, DOST-STII   
Thursday, 31 January 2013 06:09

Starting this year, Filipinos  may avail of cheaper medical diagnostic tests as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is set to locally produce Technetium-99m (Tc-99m). This silver-gray, radioactive metal is used for medical and research purposes, including evaluation of the medical condition of the heart and other organs, and studying blood flow.

This prospect comes with the recent unveiling of the Radioisotope Laboratory building at the DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) office in Diliman, Quezon City.  The laboratory, which houses the generator plant for the isotope, is the first Tc-99m production facility in the Philippines.

PNRI Director Alumanda de la Rosa said that producing Tc-99m locally will cut  at least 50 percent of hospital procedures.
She also added that by February, PNRI  would be able to provide all the Tc-99m-based radiopharmaceutical needs of hospitals at a cost lower than the current prohibitive cost of imported radiopharmaceuticals.

Also called Molybdenum 99, Tc-99m is a radioactive tracer chemical used in almost 80 percent of diagnostic imaging procedures such as bone and lung scans, and renal scintigraphy. It is widely preferred because of its short-lived gamma rays and its capacity for normal imaging techniques.

Over 35 hospitals around the country with nuclear medicine centers have to import Tc-99m generators, thus making medical procedures too costly for the public. A typical imported generator costs $1,000—higher than its cost in Indonesia which is $388.
However, the local production of Tc-99m will make diagnostic tests more affordable and accessible to a wider segment of the population.

The facility was completed with assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure that the laboratory complies with good manufacturing practices and radiological safety requirements. 

The facility also aims to localize the production of radiopharmaceutical products and make them available to government hospitals, particularly for charity patients, at a subsidized cost.

According to PNRI Director Alumanda de la Rosa, by February 2014, PNRI  would be able to provide for all the Tc-99m-based radiopharmaceutical needs of hospitals at a cost lower than the current prohibitive cost of imported radiopharmaceuticals.

Meanwhile, DOST-PNRI is preparing the installations of Tc-99m hot cell facility for the production of Tc-99m generators and studies on quality control procedures for the preparation/production of Tc-99m and Tc-99 radiopharmaceuticals.
 
Dumaguete studes ace DOST’s nuke quiz PDF Print E-mail
Written by Allan Ace Aclan, S & T Media Service   
Friday, 25 January 2013 01:27

 

Winners of the Philippine Nuclear Science Quiz Bee –National Level Competition 2012 with their coaches at the closing ceremony of the 40th Atomic Energy Week on December 14, 2012 at the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute with sponsor former Congressman Hon. Mark A. Cojuanco (middle). The winning teams were from the Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial Dumaguete Science High School (champion); Philippine Science High School - Western Visayas Campus (second place); and the Philippine Science High School - Southern Mindanao Campus (third place). Winners of the Philippine Nuclear Science Quiz Bee –National Level Competition 2012 with their coaches at the closing ceremony of the 40th Atomic Energy Week on December 14, 2012 at the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute with sponsor former Congressman Hon. Mark A. Cojuanco (middle).  The winning teams were from the Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial Dumaguete Science High School (champion); Philippine Science High School - Western Visayas Campus (second place); and the Philippine Science High School - Southern Mindanao Campus (third place). (S&T Media Service)

 

Students from Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial Science High School emerged as champions in the Department of Science and Technology ‘s first ever  Philippine Nuclear Science Quiz Bee – national level competition held recently at the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.


The whiz team from Region VII, composed of Alec Benjamin G. Ramirez and Hannah Jael M. Cadusale with their Coach Lourdes D. Lee, bested 21 other qualifiers out of 192 schools that participated from the elimination round conducted per region.


They received P20,000 cash, a Medal of Recognition for each team member, a trophy for the school and a Plaque of Recognition for the coach.


Placing second was the Philippine Science High School -Western Visayas team who received  P15,000,  followed by third placer Philippine Science High School –Southern Mindanao team who received  P10,000.
“The nuclear quiz show intends to make nuclear science more interesting to the Filipino youth and highlight its benefits to the society,” said Dr. Alumanda dela Rosa, director of DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, the organizer of said nuke quiz.


The nuclear quiz bee, held in collaboration with the Department of Education to celebrate the 40th Atomic Energy Week,  has the theme  “Nuclear Science, Technology and Innovation: Engine for Growth and Development.”  The event featured exhibits, technical sessions, guided tours of facilities and laboratories, and video showing at the DOST-PNRI in Diliman, Quezon City.


Started in 1973, the annual celebration is mandated under Presidential Proclamation No. 1211 to generate awareness of the Filipino people on the beneficial uses of nuclear science and technology in food and agriculture, health and medicine, industry, energy, and the environment.
 
More Articles...
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>

Page 6 of 33

News from Agencies

News from the Regions