Written by: Aiyana Cruz

With the theme ‘Launching Dreams Toward Nation Building’, the 13^th Metrobank Math Challenge (MMC), an annual math competition for grade six and fourth year high school students, goes digital on March 8, 2014 at the Metrobank Plaza Auditorium.

For the first-time ever, MMC used tablet computers to conduct the national finals participated by 51 students who bested 521, 324 in the elimination round.

The challenge was divided into three rounds that increase in difficulty on each level. 15 seconds is the time limit for the first round, 30 seconds for the second, and a minute for the third and last round.

For the individual category, the final scores are combinations of the oral and written competition.

In the grade school level, three out of nine students who competed in the individual competition and three out of the 10 teams that contended in the team division were awarded in the ceremony after the competition.

There are three grade six individual competition winners: Stefan Marcus Ong from St. Jude Catholic School of Manila (1^st Place); Patrick Niño Policarpio from Greenpark Montessori Learning Center of Cainta, Rizal (2^nd Place); and Marjana Ysabella Montañez from Hen. Pio del Pilar Elementary School of Makati (3^rd Place).

Three pairs are the winners for the grade six team competition: Dion Stephan Ong and Jermil Andrei Gelbolingo from Ateneo Grade School of Quezon City (1^st Place); Andrhea Angelina Therese San Gabriel and Gabriel Soriano from Small World Christian School Foundation of Baguio City (2nd Place); and Doun Lee and Jedric Ivor Zafra from the Sacred Heart School Ateneo de Cebu (3^rd Place).

In the high school level, 10 students in the individual competition and 10 pairs in the team division faced off to be the three students and three teams who triumph in the competition.

There are three triumphant finalists in the fourth year individual competition: Harvey Eaton Uy from the British School of Manila (1^st Place); Ethan Riley Chan from Zamboanga Chong Hua High School (2^nd Place); and John Mark Guimba from Damariñas National High School (3^rd Place).

For the team competition of the fourth year level, three teams bested all others: John Angel Aranas and John Morris Fabros from Makati Science High School (1^st Place); Mark Benjar Bartolome and Philip Jhurell Pati from Philippine Science High School in Baguio City (2^nd Place); and Mikhael Glen Lataza and Syrum Joseph Quinto from the Science and Technology Educational Center in Lapu-Lapu City (3^rd Place).

The winners of the math challenge received trophies, medals and cash prizes corresponding to their rankings.