PH team bags gold as the undefeated champion in ASEAN Science Odyssey

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The Philippine Team wins the overall award, as the undefeated champion for four straight years since 2012, in the recently concluded 4th ASEAN Plus Three Junior Science Odyssey (APTJSO) held in Tangerang, Indonesia. Six students from Eastern Visayas and CARAGA Region campuses of the Philippine Science High School made their mark as they demonstrated their skills in performing laboratory experiments in Biology, Chemistry, Physics  and Innovation, beating teams from 13 other countries including 10 ASEAN-member countries, plus Sweden, Taiwan, China, and Korea. Their winnings include a gold medal and an Honorable Mention in Physics, a silver medal in Biology, a Bronze medal and an Honorable Mention in Chemistry, and a Bronze medal and an Honorable Mention in Innovation. The Team also won one gold and one silver in the Project Presentation Category, and an Honorable Mention in Poster Presentation.

The Philippines has been the champion for four straight years since the APTJSO started in 2012 in Brunei Darussalam, and maintained their feat in Korea in 2013, and in Thailand in 2014.

State-of-the-art laboratory facilities were provided by Indonesia’s Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) through Geostech, located at PUSPIPTEK, a science complex that houses laboratories and other facilities related to technology assessment and application.  Students and teachers also toured the Baruna Jaya IV, a marine research and survey vessel of the BPPT, and were given lectures on Indonesia’s marine biodiversity and the various projects undertaken to protect the marine environment.

In 2016, the Philippines will be hosting the 5th APTJSO as its share in nurturing gifted students in the sciences from the ASEAN region as well from other countries. The ASEAN Center for the Gifted in Science (ACGS),based in the Republic of Korea, is the overall organizer of competition,  in cooperation with the ASEAN-member countries, China and Japan.