Fifteen members of the 2005 MTG Delegation to International Mathematics Competitions in the Secondary Level recently returned to the country after participating in the 2005 American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) in San Jose, California last June 3 to 4, 2005. Also known as the World Series of mathematics competitions in the America, this annual mathematics contest pits against each other the best that each geographic region in the United States has to offer in various mathematics contest formats, namely the individual, team, power question, relay, and super relay formats. The Philippines participated in this contest as a guest team, along with Taiwan, which fielded two teams.

The Philippine Team made its mark in this year's competition by bagging first place in one of the competition's five formats, the super relay. Our wards won in this unique contest format by being the first team against a field of almost one hundred teams to get all fifteen problems solved. The super relay involves fourteen members of the fifteen-member squad being divided into two groups of seven. Each group would then answer a different series of seven problems, with each team member being assigned to one problem. The values to be used in each of the problems (starting the second one) are dependent on the answer to the preceding problem. That's why team members could only solve the problems assigned to them once the one before them is through with his or her assigned problem. Once both groups have solved their seventh and last problems, they then both pass their answers to the team's fifteenth member, who then plugs both derived values into a fifteenth and final question.

Unfortunately for the Philippine squad however, the team's performance in the aforementioned format did not count toward its over-all performance rating. ARML regulations state that a team's super relay performance is not included in the over-all score due to logistical reasons (it is hard to score). Without it, the team had to rely on its performance in the other formats en route to a 44th place ranking out of the 68 teams in Division B, a very respectable finish nonetheless, given the quality of opposition that our students had to face.

In addition to the super relay crown, four Philippine team members were awarded medals for their commendable performances in the individual round. They are Alvin Belleza (incoming 4th year, Ateneo de Manila High School), Emerson Escolar (inc. 4th year, Grace Christian High School), Calvin Lim (inc. 3rd year, St. Stephens High School), and Anna Patricia Miravite (inc. 3rd year, Philippine Science High School).

The other members of the Philippine delegation are Angeline Baniqued (inc. 1st year, St Paul College, Pasig), Davin Carlos Choi(inc. 3rd year, Chaing Kai Shek College), John Carlos Clerigo (inc. 4th year, San Beda College, Alabang), Galvin Lester Dy (inc. 4th year, Grace Christian High School), Chiara Rosario Lanuza (inc. 2nd year, Philippine Science High School), Stephanie Anne Oliveros (inc. 2nd year, Philippine Science High School), Awstin Pua (inc. 4th year, Uno High School), Darren Mendell Sy (inc. 3rd year, Chiang Kai Shek College), Daniel Andrew Tan (inc. 3rd year, Grace Christian High School), Raymond Tan(inc. 4th year, Jubilee Christain School), and Leo Patrick Telosa (inc. 4th year, San Beda College, Alabang). The team leader was MTG Vice President for External Affairs Mrs. Rechilda P. Villame while the deputy team leader was Ms. Ciedelle Yuhico from Philippine Science High School.

This year's ARML team had been trained extensively over the summer by Mrs. Villame, along with Michael Chong and Steven Camina, two former MTG Kids who also participated in previous editions of the ARML. Trainings were held at the DEECO Technological Institute.