ASHS students Dionisio and Layaoen grab gold for PH at HKISO 2025

Competing in the senior secondary group category, five Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) students brought home medals for the Philippines at the Hong Kong International Science Olympiad (HKISO) Final Round 2025. The competition was held both onsite at the National University of Singapore and online on 14 June 2025.

Leading the ASHS medalists were Sam Dionisio (12–Anchieta) and Junby Layaoen (12–Xavier), who both earned gold medals. Eliza Lorenzo (12–Pantalia) was ASHS' sole silver medalist, while Cleone Canaleta (12–Navarro) and Katina Lim (12–Xavier) claimed bronze medals.

The HKISO Final Round 2025 featured participation from students representing numerous countries across Asia and other regions. Although an official list of participating nations was not publicly released, contestants typically come from countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, India, South Korea, Japan, and selected countries from the Middle East and Europe, highlighting the truly international scope of the competition.

The HKISO is a prestigious annual global science competition for students from Grades 2 to 12. It encompasses four major disciplines—Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Integrated Science—and follows the Hong Kong School Science Syllabus, assessing students’ grade-level understanding, analytical thinking, and ability to apply scientific concepts.

The outstanding performance of the ASHS students at the HKISO Final Round 2025 reflects both their individual dedication and Ateneo’s continued commitment to excellence in science education, as they competed alongside some of the world’s most promising young science learners.