QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Jul 2026) — Eight brilliant Pinoy high school students just proved that the country is fully equipped to handle the future of technology, bagging a total of four medals and placing sixth overall at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (APOAI 2026).
The Filipino delegation stood tall against more than 100 of the top secondary school students from 18 countries across the region. Locally hosted at the Ateneo Business Insights Laboratory for Development (BUILD) inside the Ateneo de Manila University campus, the grueling six-hour exam tested the participants in advanced machine learning, mathematical modeling, and algorithmic problem-solving.
Meet our young AI tech champions
Leading the pack for Team Philippines is Noe Nathan Y. Arreza from the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) CALABARZON Campus. Arreza ranked eighth overall out of the entire international roster, bringing home the country’s coveted gold medal.
Troy Dylan T. Serapio from the PSHS Main Campus ranked 23rd to secure a silver medal, while Daphne Eunice U. Acena of De La Salle University Dasmariñas High School (42nd place) and Jhareign S. Solidum of the University of Mindanao Ilang High School (52nd place) both earned bronze medals.
Two other team members, Ryan James L. Alfaro of PSHS CALABARZON Campus and Sean Marcus N. Castillo of PSHS Central Luzon Campus, received Honorable Mentions for placing 88th and 95th respectively. Rounding out the elite Philippine squad are Ellison Matthew S. Ang of PSHS Main Campus and Aretha Cai Faustine M. Sy of St. Scholastica’s Academy of Marikina.
A level playing field for global tech talent
The Pinoy students operated under intense international testing conditions with zero breaks and independent onsite invigilators monitoring their every move. To keep the playing field completely fair, all official contest sites were streamed live via Zoom through the IOAI China Organizing Committee. Every single contestant also utilized the exact same high-performance AI GPU cloud environment, meaning no country had a computing advantage over another.
The International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence Philippines (IOAI PH) selected the delegates through a strict, merit-based national screening process. Participation in the program is entirely free, ensuring that national representation depends solely on skill, preparation, and pure talent rather than financial capability.
“This historic performance establishes a powerful baseline for the country,” IOAI PH Executive Director Martin Gomez said. “This result belongs to far more than the students who sat the exam. It is a testament to the coaches who trained this team, the local staff who maintained competition integrity, and the families, schools, and communities who championed these students every step of the way.”
The historic feat highlights a booming depth of local youth talent in artificial intelligence, a field currently reshaping sciences, global industries, and daily digital lifestyles.
