Aquino, Montalvo reap golden harvest
By Mark Robert Benson Baldo
and Christine Joy De Sotto Castor

REAPING SIX AWARDS, five golds and one silver, Armand Joseph Suero Aquino of IV-Albert Einstein and Rafael Alfred Costuna Montalvo III of IV-Sir Isaac Newton won a number of academic contests, earning numerous accolades for the Makati Science High School.

Dominating a number of team competitions this school year, Aquino and Montalvo have always been paired together since their first year high school because of their good rapport, making them a dynamic duo in the Makati Science academic community.

“The hardest part was missing lessons,” said Montalvo, which was seconded by Aquino, in an interview with The Makati Science Vision.

Aquino and Montalvo, together with Marian Denise Glipo Basallote of III-Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, defended the Makati Science’s championship title in the Pre-T Med 2: A High School Science Quiz Bee at the University of the East-Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center-College of Physical Therapy, Quezon City, July 20.

With the help of Reginald Carl Rivera Reyes of IV-Michael Faraday, Aquino and Montalvo snatched the championship trophy from the Manila Science High School in the City of Manila, after bagging first place in the Third Q-Wiz at the Philippine Air Transport and Training Services-College of Aeronautics, Parañaque City, Sept. 14.
At the Insular Life Tower, Aquino and Montalvo, along with Reyes, Paula Bianca Etaoc Amil, Karla Asuncion Banayat, and Martin Louis Cunanan Condes, breezed through the Global Dimension’s Olympiad Search for Dr Walter Leibrecht Scholars, Sept. 22.

On Nov. 6, Aquino and Montalvo finished second in the 2007 Technowars: Battle of Science and Mathematics Wizards, trailing behind the Rizal National Science High School in the Province of Rizal, which toppled them after a tricky question at the Far Eastern University, City of Manila.

Montalvo bagged first place while Aquino bagged third place in the Fifth Annual Super Quiz Bowl at the Asia Pacific College, City of Makati, Nov. 20.

“Experience ang pinakamagandang papremyo sa akin. Secondary lang ang mga cash prizes,” admitted Aquino when asked what he liked best in joining competitions.

Alone, Montalvo copped first place in the 2007 National Capital Region Quiz Bee at the SM San Lazaro, City of Manila, Nov. 10.

Toppling 13 other contestants all over the country, Montalvo, representing the region, won first runner-up, narrowly missing the gold by one point to the Bicol Region contestant, in the 28th National Quiz Bee at the Development Academy of the Philippines Center and Hotel, Tagaytay City, Dec. 1.

Recently, Aquino and Montalvo, together with Reyes, secured first place in the Eighth Makati Brain Olympics at the City Hall of Makati, Dec. 8.

Aquino and Montalvo were trained by Mr Andrian Bonagua Mesa, Advanced Physics teacher; Mr Mark Anthony Jacob Vidallo, Advanced Algebra, Trigonometry, and Statistics teacher; Miss Maria Michelle Villanueva Junio, General Chemistry teacher; Mrs Ma Xyrza Tolosa-Asido, Social Studies Department coordinator; and Mrs Celia Palaña-Flores, Science and Technology Department master teacher and science trainer.