by Aya Ecaldre ||

Philippine Science High School-Eastern Visayas Campus (PSHS-EVC) raises the Philippine flag in the global spotlight once more after bagging awards in the International Chemistry Quiz (ICQ) 2021 held last July 28.  

The event was organized by the Royal Australian Chemistry Institute to promote and encourage awareness of the nature and relevance of chemistry among students. As the competition is not syllabus-based, the contest proper was centered on testing the students’ critical thinking and scientific reasoning. According to ICQ’s website, the involvement of the application of knowledge in the contest serves as a training ground for participants on their future endeavors in the field of chemistry. 

This year, the quiz was conducted online through a Moodle-based system and was open to Grade 7-12 students from 20 countries. Several PSHS-EVC scholars gained recognition after topping the ranking. Among the participants, 12th grader Jim Cadion received the Certificate of Excellence and was awarded the ICQ Lapel Pin after gaining a perfect score on the quiz. Certificates of High Distinction were awarded to Jolinel Reoma and Benedict Chua for the junior and senior divisions, respectively. Certificates of Distinction were awarded to 11th graders, Curt Cervantes and Calina Pamplona. Denice Carles and Jade Mendiola received Certificates of Credit, while Certificates of Participation were awarded to Vean Cordero, Alchris Ceballos, and Cherlaine Chu.  

Cervantes and Reoma stated that they were not able to prepare for the said competition. Reoma further explains that he only used the knowledge he had acquired from past lessons. Cervantes added that he wished that he could have prepared more, but relayed that this type of environment made it more stimulating.  

Carles expressed the joy she experienced with the other participants. “When we finished the test, we laughed it off as the test was hard, but we didn’t expect that we would be receiving awards for our hard work,” she said. 

“ICQ was a unique assessment for me since it included topics that were not taught in school. Recalling the lessons learned and reviewed was quite fun, and this may reflect how effectively we were reviewed by our coach and taught in PSHS-EVC as well,” Cadion expressed. 

The ICQ Lapel Pin Awardee further stated that his results surprised him because he felt that obtaining a perfect score in the quiz and attaining the ICQ Lapel Pin was nearly impossible, adding that he felt ecstatic because of how the time and effort he had allotted for the ICQ paid off.