Philippine Science High School (PSHS) student Mohammad Nur Casib has made history by securing the Philippines’ first-ever gold medal in the prestigious International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (IOAA) in its 17 years of competition.
Casib, representing PSHS Central Mindanao Campus, claimed the gold at the IOAA 2024 held from August 17-27 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This victory marks Casib’s second consecutive medal at the IOAA, following his historic silver finish at the 16th IOAA in Poland last year.
The IOAA gold is Casib’s third major achievement this year. He also won gold at the inaugural International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO), earning him the title of Nuclear Science Ambassador, and secured another gold at the XXXVI Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad (APMO).
The 17-year-old Marawi City native led Team Philippines’ honors at the 17th IOAA:
- Gold Medal, Mohammad Nur Casib of PSHS CMC
- Bronze Medal, Sean Ken Galanza of PSHS Main Campus
- Honorable Mention, Yanna Lorraine Tenorio of PSHS Main Campus
-
Honorable Mention, Alvann Paredes Dy of St. Jude Catholic School
PSHS Main Campus student Elaiah Asperin completed the top 5 students who qualified to represent the Philippines at the 17th IOAA, joined by team leaders Russel Odi of Saint Jude Catholic School and Bhazel Pelicano of PSHS Main Campus in the official delegation.
In response to a congratulatory post on the PSHS CMC Facebook Page, Nur Casib credited his community of supporters for his triumph: “To my dear family, friends, the PSHS-CMC community, and everyone else that has been part of this incredible adventure, my heartfelt gratitude to every single cheer, prayer, and support that has propelled us to reach this far into the stars and achieve this God-given and collective success. I couldn’t emphasize enough the fact that I couldn’t have done any of these without you.”
The Filipino students proudly represented their country, raising the Philippine flag on the IOAA stage, where they were honored alongside medalists from 53 participating countries. The competition featured 250 students who competed in theoretical assessments, data analysis, and night sky observation.
PSHS CMC celebrated Nur Casib’s achievement with social media posts:
Discover more Good School milestones and celebrate this historic win by sharing this inspiring story with your friends and family!
Be part of our vibrant Good News Pilipinas community, celebrating the best of the Philippines and our global Filipino heroes. As winners of the Gold Anvil Award and the Lasallian Scholarum Award, we invite you to engage with us and share your inspiring stories. For stories Making Every Filipino Proud, reach out to GoodNewsPilipinas.com via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. LinkTree here. Let’s spread good news together!
