MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge

IT’S what happens when companies put their hearts into their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) - invariably, brilliant and life-changing initiatives result that impact society in a decidedly positive way.

A good example of this is the MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge organized by the Metrobank Foundation.

On its twelfth year now, Metrobank Foundation has been holding math contests among private and public schools in all levels of grade school and high school.

Originally limiting itself to NCR schools, Metrobank Foundation has, since 2001, expanded the competition to include all the regions.

Metrobank Foundation apparently believes that one way to uplift the lives of the people is to inspire the best in Filipinos. Were the spate of news reports about Filipino kids winning international math contests right and left were to be an indication, it’d seem that Metrobank Foundation has been successful, indeed.

“PHL kids bag Int'l Math Olympiad medals,” screams one headline. “Pinoys win 96 medals in Singapore math contest,” proclaims another headline.

“Pinoy Whiz Kid Tops International Math Contest,” announces yet another.
The apparent hike in the math skills of our students bodes well for us.

Foreign investors always look at the labor pool profile, and, believe me, countries which have a large pool of English-speaking, well educated workers will always be on short lists.

No doubt Metrobank Foundation has contributed to this bountiful medal harvest through its award-winning MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge. For instance, it was Carmela S. Lao, the Individual Category winner of the 2011 MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge who bagged the silver medal in the 51st International Mathematical Olympiad, the first Pinoy to go that far.

Surely, the intensive and extensive preparations involved prepped her for the win.

Here are the numbers last year. More than 1,200 students competed in the regional finals nationwide of which 55 students successfully advanced to the final leg of the competition. These 55 national finalists came from 34 schools composed of 23 public and 11 private schools including ones from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm). This year, even more schools are expected to participate.

From the finalists will emerge one individual winner and one team winner each for Grade 6 and 4th year high school categories. The winners will receive medals, trophies and cash.

In Cagayan de Oro, the division competition was held on February 7, 2013 at the West City Central School. The official results were not yet ready when I inquired about them, but I know that as usual, City Central School nearly made a clean sweep of the grade school competition, bagging the Grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 gold, thanks to the formidable team of Mmes Eguia, Arabis and Torredes.

Corpus Christi topped the 1st year and 4th year HS categories via Teacher Edith Amper, while XUHS won in the 2nd year and 3rdyear HS categories.

Gusa Regional Science HS, Oro Christian Grace School, Kong Hua School and Liceo likewise fared well.

Parents have a lot to thank Metrobank Foundation and MTAP for the MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge. City Central School prepares for the next MTAP practically just as soon as the previous MTAP ends. With a setup like that, you can just imagine the kind of alertness level that the school maintains for its contestants. I don’t know how you see it, but for me, this can only result in “Navy Seals,” precisely what our country needs, not any ordinary grunt.