CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A Grade 6 student has brought home a major international math victory for the Philippines after overcoming travel disruptions and tough competition from nearly 400 young mathletes worldwide.
Angela Bella Domingo of Lycée Français de Manille clinched the top distinction at the 2026 Turkic International Mathematical Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan, held July 2 to 6.
Domingo was initially part of a 110-student Philippine contingent. But regional security concerns, flight restrictions across Middle East routes and delays in Azerbaijan’s visa processing prevented the rest of the qualified delegation from joining the competition.
Domingo continued the journey to Baku with her supporters, becoming the lone Philippine qualifier in the tournament.
She then competed against 392 participants from 13 countries, emerging with the competition’s highest award.
Her gold adds to a strong year for Filipino mathletes, including students from Davao City who also posted major wins in Thailand earlier this year.
At the 2026 Thailand International Mathematical Olympiad Final Round in February, Davao City National High School students captured three medals.
Secondary 3 student Luis Mateo Gepaya won gold under coach Geric Del Rosario, while fellow Secondary 3 student Markus Nuñez took silver, also under Del Rosario.
In the Senior Secondary division, Jedd Requilme secured another gold medal under coach Niño Lito Salvan.
For Filipino students competing on the international stage, Domingo’s win shows that even when circumstances make the journey harder, determination and preparation can still put Philippine talent at the top. (Dave Achondo, Editorial Assistant)
SIDEBAR: How Filipino Students Qualify for International Math Olympiads
Participation in international competitions like TIMO and the Turkic Olympiad typically flows through national training partners such as the Math Olympiads Training League Inc. (MOTLI) or Mathematics Trainers’ Guild (MTG) Philippines.
1. Eligibility
The competitions are open to public, private, and international school students from Kindergarten through Grade 12.
2. The Philippine Heat Round
Applicants must first compete in a 90-minute national preliminary exam featuring 25 open-ended problems across five areas: Logical Thinking, Arithmetic/Algebra, Number Theory, Geometry, and Combinatorics. Calculators are strictly prohibited.
3. Qualifying Cutoffs
Invitations to the overseas international finals are strictly merit-based:
🥇 Gold Medalists: Top 10% of scorers
🥈 Silver Medalists: Next 12% of scorers
🥉 Bronze Medalists: Next 18% of scorers
Top medalists automatically receive official invitations to represent the Philippines at the global finals, while Merit Award winners (the next 15%) are placed on a waitlist.
