ZOOM MONITORED All IOAI official contest sites were monitored simultaneously through live Zoom streams to ensure fairness across all participating countries and regions. The official Philippine site was at the Ateneo Business Insights Laboratory for Development (Build) of the John Gokongwei School of Management, Ateneo de Manila University. PHOTO by IOAI PH FB
AN eight-member team of Filipino high school students secured a sixth-place overall finish at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, taking home a gold, a silver, and two bronze medals.
The Philippine delegation tied with several other nations in the final standings after competing against more than 100 students from 18 countries during the weekend event.
Noe Nathan Arreza, a student at the Philippine Science High School–Calabarzon Campus, led the domestic roster by finishing eighth individually to claim the gold medal. Troy Dylan Serapio of the PSHS Main Campus won silver with a 23rd-place finish. Bronze medals went to Daphne Eunice Acena of De La Salle University Dasmariñas High School, who placed 42nd, and Jhareign Solidum of the University of Mindanao Ilang High School, who placed 52nd.
Two other PSHS students, Ryan James Alfaro and Sean Marcus Castillo, received honorable mentions. Team members Ellison Matthew Ang and Aretha Cai Faustine Sy rounded out the delegation.
The grueling, six-hour examination tested contestants in machine learning, mathematical modeling, and algorithmic problem-solving under strict international rules. Students worked through the afternoon without breaks under the scrutiny of independent, onsite invigilators.
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To ensure competitive equity, all international testing locations were monitored via live video streams managed by the event's organizing committee in China. Furthermore, all participants utilized an identical cloud-based graphic processing network to eliminate hardware advantages.
The domestic testing site was hosted at the Ateneo Business Insights Laboratory for Development within the John Gokongwei School of Management at Ateneo de Manila University.
The International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence Philippines selected the roster through a merit-based national screening. Organizers waived all participation fees to ensure selection depended on aptitude and training rather than financial capability.
Martin Gomez, executive director of the local organizing body, said the milestone establishes a strong benchmark for the country. He credited the success to the collaborative effort of coaches, local staff, families, and school communities.
Local operations received corporate and private backing from Joy-Nostalg, Times Paint Corporation, and the Tiu Family. Global sponsors for the tournament included Alibaba Group's Taobao, Jane Street, and DP Technology.
