Argao student honored for math tilt victory

Student Barly Dinalo shows his certificate from the International Mathematics Wizard Competition held in Hong Kong. He was accompanied by his father (left) to the Cebu Provincial Board’s session hall where the boy was honored.
(CDN PHOTO/VICTOR ANTHONY V. SILVA)

A 14-year-old student of Argao town, southern Cebu, was honored  by the Provincial Board yesterday for winning a  bronze medal in an international mathematics competition held in August.

Barly Dinalo, a Grade 8 student of the Philippine National Science High School-Central Visayas Campus, was the only one from Cebu who made it to the International Mathematics Wizard Challenge in Hong Kong  held from Aug. 9 to 12.

He was among 138 elementary and high school students from all over the country who joined the contest.

The Philippine contingent won 12 golds, 37 silvers and 89 bronze medals, ranking second next to China, the Mathematics Development Academy of the Philippines said.

Dinalo was accompanied by his father during the PB’s regular session yesterday morning.

Dinalo said he trained hard in Geometry and Intermediate and Advanced Algebra before heading off to Hong Kong.

“Before the competition, there were six different mathematical training sessions every Saturday,” he told officials.

Dinalo’s father, Benedicto, had to sell one of his cows to help finance his trip to Hong Kong.

“Actually, the school has funds but it wasn’t enough to cover all the expenses,” Benedicto, 42, told reporters.

Benedicto said the provincial government, through the Office of the Vice Governor, gave P9,000 to the family after learning of the young math wizard’s victory.

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale also promised to replace the cow  sold by the family  through one of the  province’s programs.

“What an honor for Cebu to have produced a math wizard in the person of Mr. Barly Dinalo,” she said.