VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) — “We are very proud and happy to inform that out of the target 90% winnings, we won in all the competitions our scholars joined for the first and second quarter of this fiscal year,” said Chief of Curriculum Instruction Michellle Ducusin of the Philippine Science High School Ilocos Region Campus.

Ducusin shared this during the Ammuentayo teleradyo program of the Philippine Information Agency Ilocos Sur Information Center on July 29.

Winning in international Science and Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) competitions, according to Ducusin, is a target of the PSHS-IRC as part of the Department of Science and Technology.

Among their recent victorious stints is the Hong Kong International Computing Olympiad Finals on June 18 where Jodi Emrian Salvacion Manlapaz and Ralph Michael Racho secured gold awards for the Senior Secondary Group category using Python programming language.

Gerardo Marco Rodriguez, who also used the same programming language under the Secondary 3 category, grabbed a gold award as well.

Likewise, both winning gold awards are Azzan Artates under the Secondary 1 category using Blockly programming language, and Gabriel James Valdez in the Secondary 2 category using Python.

Pisay students Zlynn Anne Asuncion -secured the first place in the Business Track, and Dwight James Alejandro won second place in the Design Track will vye to bring honor to the country in the International Grand Finals of the ICDL Digital Challenge 2023 scheduled on August 25, 2023 after their successful stint at the national round on July 11.

Meanwhile, Ducusin explained the importance of engaging the students in such competitions.

“It is really good preparation for them in terms of career pathing, the target of the existence of PSHS-IRC is to prepare our students to become professionals in the areas of STEM,” she said.

She mentioned, “So, in addition to classroom instruction, these competitions will help heighten their interest to really pursue their chosen field along with STEM.” (JCR/MJTAB/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)