The Philippines ranked third among national delegations at the 2026 North Eurasian Olympic Games in Artificial Intelligence (NEOAI), with eight Filipino students among the world’s top 100 in the international competition.
The Philippine delegation, selected through the International Artificial Intelligence Olympics Philippines (IOAIPH) organized by Ateneo de Manila University’s Business Insights Institute for Development (BUILD), competed against 224 participants from Russia, Romania, Iran, Malaysia, Serbia, Cyprus, Mongolia, and more.
Sponsored by Chuo University and SberUniversity, the competition tested participants in machine learning, computer vision, and speech processing through a series of artificial intelligence engineering challenges over two days.
The Philippine national team was led by Juan Mateo J. Desasido of Brent International School Manila, who was ranked 17th in the world with a score of 365.79.
His score placed him in the equivalent gold tier, making him the highest-ranked player outside of the Russian and Romanian delegations.
Daphne Eunice U. Asena of De La Salle University Dasmariñas High School and Teo Lorenzo T. Bustamante of the Philippine Science High School Calabarzon Regional Campus earned silver tier finishes equivalent to world rankings 51st and 56th, respectively.
Five other Filipino students also ranked in the equivalent bronze tier. Ryan James L. Alfaro of the Philippine Science High School – Calabarzon Regional Campus, Conrad Jeffrey C. Tan of Grace Christian College, Troy Dylan T. Serapio of the Philippine Science High School – Main Campus, Tristan Jafez L. Marquez of the Philippine Science High School – Central Luzon Campus, and Aretha Kai Faustin M. Cy of the College. Academy of Saint Scholastica in Marikina.
Ellison Matthew S. Ang of Philippine Science High School Main Campus performed well on the second day of the competition and received an equal honorable mention.
Also participating on behalf of the country were Almond Rose M. Obedoza of Stanford Online High School, Jalain S. Solidum of University of Mindanao Iran High School, and Noe Nathan Y. Areza of Philippine Science High School Calabarzon Regional Campus. All 12 members of the delegation received official international certificates from the organizers.
Based on the average score of each country’s top three players, the Philippines placed third overall in the delegation behind Russia and Romania. The Philippine team also achieved a 100% certification rate.
The results highlight the growing presence of Filipino students in international competitions in artificial intelligence, a field that combines computer science, data science and advanced mathematics.
