DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 08 August) – A Moro senior high school student is one of two Filipino gold medalists in the recently concluded 1st International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO) and was hailed “Nuclear Ambassador” for obtaining the highest points overall among 55 contenders from 14 countries.
Mohammad Nur “Iman” Gumaos Casib of Marawi City, an incoming Grade 12 student of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Central Mindanao Campus in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, won Gold along with Neil Kyle Olaer Maniquis of Manila Science High School in Manila and six others from other countries in the Olympiad held at the New Clark City in Pampanga on August 1 to 6.
“Not just Carlos Yulo with 2 golds – Mohammad Nur Casib too!,” PSHS-Central Mindanao Campus posted on its FB page on Thursday.
In March this year, Casib also won Gold in the 36th International Math Olympiad held in the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
PSHS-Central Mindanao resumes classes on August 12 but the Gold medalist’s father, Dr. Norodin Casib told MindaNews that his son is “still excused” from classes because “he has one more Olympiad to attend.” Casib is headed to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the lone Mindanawon among the five-member Philippine team to the 17th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics on August 17 to 26.
At the INSO, Casib was among two Mindanawons in the Philippine team, the other one from Zamboanga National High School, Romher John Fermil.
INSO is an annual international Science competition for secondary school students aged 15 to 20 years old in the Asia-Pacific region. This year it was participated in by 14 countries: Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and United Arab Emirates.
A report of the INSO Publicity Working Team said that aside from Casib and Maniquis, the six other Gold medalists are: Singapore’s Caldras Tan Hong Xun, Caleb Chia, Tran Doan Duy Phuc and Wong Keng Hshin; M N Ahamed Mushab of Sri Lanka and Nopparuj Sodsri of Thailand.
Phuc and Casib were given special awards “for obtaining the highest points in the experimental and theoretical exams, respectively” but Casib got the highest points overall, earning him the title or “Nuclear Ambassador.”
Another Filipino, Jeremiah E. Auza of PSHS Central Visayas campus was among 13 Silver medalists.
This is not the first international award received by Casib, the eldest of four children of surgeon Norodin Casib and gynaecologist Sittienor M. Gumaos-Casib, both working in the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City.
He has won several Gold, Silver and Bronze medals since 2018, when he was 12 years old.
In 2023, Casib won Silver in the 16th International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (IOAA) in Poland in August, winning for the Philippines the first medal since the country joined the competition in 2010; Silver during the 35th Asian Pacific Mathematical Olympiad (APMO) held online. Also last year, he won two Bronze awards in the month of July: in the 55th International Chemistry Olympiad in Switzerland; and in the 64th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Japan.
Nuclear Science and Technolog
According to its website, the aim of INSO is to increase awareness of the peaceful applications of Nuclear Science and Technology while the primary objective of the 1st INSO in the Philippines is to “showcase the country’s commitment to advancing nuclear education and fostering international cooperation in the peaceful applications of Nuclear Science and Technology.”
It said INSO aims to popularize knowledge and understanding of nuclear science and technology (NST) to improve the nuclear scientific approach towards its uses and applications, enhance the interest in NST among secondary school students, stimulate activities for interested students by way of independent and creative solutions for NST problems, improve teaching of NST at the secondary school level, motivate participants to pursue NST professions, stimulate the founding and organization of National Nuclear Science Olympiads in the participating states and promote international contacts and facilitate cordial relations.
The topics in the Olympiad were structure of an atom and nucleus, radiation, fission and fusion, radioactivity in the environment, history of Nuclear Science, risk and safety, and applications on Energy, Health, Industry/Agriculture, Environment.
In the opening program on August 1, Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum stressed that INSO aims to “increase global awareness on the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology, particularly on how these are supportive to the current thrust of the science department” which are human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability.
Dr. Carlo Arcilla, Director of the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute said organizing the first ever Nuclear Science Olympiad was a challenge because “when we accepted the invitation to host this event, we did not know how big of a feat this would be for our country, but we are delighted to see all of you here with us today as the participants of this competition that is the first of its kind.’’
Marina Binti Mishar from the Division for Asia and the Pacific, Department of Technical Cooperation of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the Olympiad was not just a gathering of participants from different nations but also of ‘’a global community united by a common goal: to explore, innovate, and push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of nuclear science.’’
Pride and Honor to the Bangsamoro People
The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) has yet to file a resolution congratulating Casib. Last year, it passed Resolution 389 congratulating Casib for winning Bronze in the International Chemistry Olympiad in Zurich, Switzerland, “thereby giving pride and honor to the Bangsamoro People.”
Casib’s first Gold medal in an international competition was in 2018, at the 15th International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO) in Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province in China in September.
In July that same year, he won Bronze in the 21st Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest (PMWC) held in Hong Kong.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic years, Casib participated won in several international competitions held online in 2021. He won Gold, Global Rank 6 in the Southeast Asian Mathematical Olympiad-X (SEAMO-X) in Singapore in January; Gold, World Rank 4 during the 25th Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (JBMO) in Chisinau, Moldova, Eastern Europe in July; and Gold, World Rank 2 in the 2nd Final Mathematical Cup-Junior Category in Ohrid, North Macedonia in September.
In 2022, he won Gold in the China North Mathematical Olympiad (CNMO) held online in August; Silver in the Indonesia-International Mathematics Competition (IIMC) held online in July and the South Africa International Mathematics Competition (SIMC) in Durban, South Africa in August.
Also in 2022, he won Bronze in the 63rd International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) held in Oslo, Norway also in July; and in the 34th APMO held online.
As a child in Marawi, Casib had always loved numbers. He loved playing with the calculator. During the Marawi Siege in May 2017, Casib’s family had to move to Cagayan de Oro City, where his parents enrolled him and his siblings at the YAHSHUA Intelex, an after-school training center that specializes in mathematics and music. There, Casib was introduced to the Mathematics Trainers Guild Philippines (MTG) and the Metrobank-MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge or MMC.
The Casibs returned to Marawi City in January 2019. In April that year, with majority of the displaced Meranaws still longing to return home, Casib brought joy to a still grieving city by winning first nationwide in the Grade 6 individual competition category of the MMC.
He was quoted as saying his ultimate goal in joining the MMC was “to bring the banner of the Bangsamoro region to the competition.”
He did. In subsequent competitions, he did not just carry the Bangsamoro banner, but the Philippines’ as well. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)
