 |
HISTORY MAKERS. The
2017 Youth Excellence in Science (YES) awardees pose for a group photo with
DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña during the awarding ceremony at the PICC.
|
There’s no stopping our young math and science geniuses on their
record-breaking trend.
When the Youth Excellence in Science (YES) Awards first started
recognizing the victories of young students in international science and math
competitions, there were only 70 awardees. Ten years after, the number of
awardees reached a record-breaking 1,195 – an impressive 45.55 percent increase
from the previous year’s already historic 821. It’s also the highest total
since the event began in 2007.
“If the number of YES medals awarded is any indication of our future in
science, I’m happy to say that it looks more than promising,” shares Dr.
Josette Biyo, Director of the Department of Science and Technology – Science
Education Institute (DOST-SEI) which organizes the YES Awards.
Biyo welcomed the 548 awardees from the national capital region and
nearby regions in an awarding ceremony held on February 20 at the Philippine
International Convention Center in Manila. The 647 student-medalists from other
regions will be honored in separate events courtesy of DOST regional offices.
Also present in the ceremony are national organizers of science and math
competitions, school officials, teachers and parents of the awardees, and DOST
officials.
The young champions received the Secretary’s Medal from no less than the
DOST Secretary, Hon. Fortunato de la Peña, who lauded the decade-old YES Awards
for being a cradle of pride for Filipinos.
De la Peña assured the students that the DOST is always supportive of
programs that will strengthen all the relevant sectors in S&T development.
He cited the scholarships provided by the SEI as well as other programs of the
department that stimulate innovation, facilitate promotion of local
technologies, and promote resiliency amid disasters that the country faces
yearly.
Aside from student-medalists, the top three schools in terms of
medalists produced were recognized through the Gold Ribbon School Award - a new
tradition that YES started this year and will be awarded every three years
henceforth. This year’s awardees are Philippine Science High School Main Campus
with 278 medals, followed by St. Jude Catholic School and Grace Christian
College with 265 and 175 medals.
The event also celebrated the momentous wins of math whiz Andres Rico
Gonzales III and 2017 Breakthrough Junior Challenge champion, Hillary Diane
Andales. Andales spoke at last year’s awarding ceremony about not being afraid
of failures and repeats after placing sixth in the same competition that she
topped the following year.
DOST Undersecretary for S&T Services, Dr. Carol Yorobe, in her
message, called for students to find purpose in their award and use their YES
achievements to build fruitful collaborations and serve the country. (
Comments
Post a Comment