Moro whiz kid in Math, Physics, Chemistry and Statistics off to MIT for college

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 30 March) – A Moro senior high school student from Marawi City who excels in Math, Physics, Chemistry and Statistics, recently won the top awards in the Olympiads in February and March and is on his way to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for college. 

Hailed as “Nuclear Ambassador” at the 1^st International Science Olympiad last year, Mohammad Nur G. Casib of  the Philippine Science High School (PSHS)-Central Mindanao Campus in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, is this year’s “Absolute Winner & Gold Medalist” at the recently concluded 2025 Philippine Physics Olympiad (PPO) held in the University of the Philippines-Los Banos on March 15 to 16. 

He won a gold medal along with Ogden Michael Javier of the PSHS Main Campus in Manila but Nur won the “Absolute Winner” title. 

On March 22, Nur, Javier, Rex Alphonse Reventar and Kyush Cian C. Cabilino won gold at the 24^thPhilippine National Chemistry Olympiad (PNCO)  2025 held at the University of the Philippines-Manila’s College of Arts and Sciences. 

The Gold awardees are eligible to represent Team Philippines in the 2025 International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in Dubai on July 5 to 14. 

^{Mohammad Nur Casio (L) and his team from the Philippine Science High School-Central Mindanao Campus with coach Oliver Aromin at the University of the Phlippines-Manila’s College of Arts and Sciences for the 24th Philippine National Chemistry Olympiad (PNCO) on March 22, 2025. Photo courtesy of DR. NOR CASIB}

The 18-year old Meranaw also won as overall champion in the 27th Philippine Mathematical Olympiad (PMO) held at the Far Eastern University in Manila on March 8 and 9. 

In 2023, Nur was first runner-up in the PMO, and was second runner-up in 2024 and finally overall champion in 2025. 

^{Mohammad Nur Casib of Marawi City (5th from left), “Absolute Winner and Gold Medalist.” Courtesy of Philippine Pysics Olympiad}

He was awarded Most Valuable Pearson (MVP) in the 24th National Statistical Challenge held on February 23 at the UP Diliman School of Statistics, the first time the MVP award was given. 

The MVP title is awarded to the highest scorer in written exam. His team from the PSHS-Central Mindanao campus also won as overall champion. The team won in 2019, 2024 and 2025.  No competition was held in the pandemic years from 2020 to 2023. 

The eldest of four children of surgeon Norodin Casib and gynecologist Sittienor M. Gumaos-Casib of the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City, Nur has been winning Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in national and international competitions since 2018, when he was 12 years old. 

This month’s PMO, PPO and PCNO fell within Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. Nur’s father told MindaNews it was “very tough” for his son as the competitions happened in succession from February to March and “what made it even harder was that Nur was  fasting, with poor sleep and energy especially during the day.”

MIT Class of 2029 

By tradition, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) releases its admission results at Tau time on Pi Day, March 14, a day celebrated by mathematicians, scientists and math lovers around the world, in commemoration of the mathematical sign pi.

This year, it was released at 6;28 pm on March 14 (6 28 a.m. in the March 16, 6:28 a.m. in the Philippines) whileNur was making final preparations for the PPO then.

^{Mohammad Nur G. Casib, one of two Gold medalists from the Philippines at the 1st International Nuclear Science Olympiad in August 2024. He was hailed as “Nuclear Ambassador” for topping overall among 55 contenders, the theoretical and experimental exams. Photo courtesy of DR. NORODIN CASIB}

“I could have just viewed my admission results later, since a rejection or waiting list could have ‘discouraged’ us for the PPO. However, not wanting to feel suspense for the entire day and during the contest, and having faith to myself and to Allah SWT that what I submitted to MIT Admissions will suffice, I braved the circumstances and peeked into my MIT Admissions Portal. And lo and behold! We made it!,” Nur told MindaNews on Sunday.

In his letter informing Nur that he has been accepted to the MIT Class of 2029, 

Stuart Schmill, Dean of  Admissions and Student Financial Services of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said: “You stood out as one of the most talented and promising students in an incredibly competitive applicant pool.”

MIT ranks number 1, while Harvard ranks 4th according to the QS World University Ranking 

MIT’s mission, he said, is to “educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship, to best prepare them to solve the world’s greatest challenges.”

“Make no mistake, the rigor here is read, but so is the excitement of discovery, both inside and outside the classroom,” Schmill said. 

Nur acknowledges that the awards he received in previous years, especially in international contests, “may have given us an edge, but still I knew that the competition (for admission) was fierce.” 

Seeing the result in the MIT admissions portal “certainly boosted our morale for the PPO contest later that day. Alhamdulillah, at that moment, I really felt that my future, after being conflicted for so long, has finally been cast,” he said. 

^{Mohammad Nur Casib of the Philippine Science High School-Central Mindanao Campus at the Philippine National Chemistry Olympiad at UP-Manila on March 22. Photo courtesy of DR. NOR CASIB}

In PSHS-CMC, Nur is the first to get into the MIT. “I am also sure he is first from BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) but not sure (if first) from Mindanao,” his father said. According to him, his son is on full scholarship and is planning on “a possible double course  in Chemistry and AI.” 

“With brilliance, determination, and a passion for physics, our scholars have proudly represented various Pisay campuses nationwide and brought home numerous awards—including the Absolute Winner title!,” PSHS System announced on its Facebook page. 

Another PSHS-Central Mindanao student, Dezel Van M. Warquez, won Honorable Mention at the PPO and Silver at the PNCO. 

International arena

Nur is scheduled to compete in the 57^th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in United Arab Emirates on July 5 to 14; the International Math Olympiad (IMO) on July 13 to 20 in Australia but the date is in conflict with the 

International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in France on July 17 to 25.

Last year, he qualified in five international Olympiads—IMO, IChO, International Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) and INSO and the Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad (APMO) —  but had to drop IChO in Riyadh due to conflict in schedules.

Nur won the Philippines’ only gold in the 36^th APMO. 

Nur competed at the 17^th IOAA on August 17 to 26 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The lone Mindanawon among the five-member Philippine team, Nur won for the country its first ever Gold medal at the 17^th IOAA. 

^{Moro whiz kid Mohammad Nur Casib of Marawi City with a few of his awards. Photo courtesy of DR. NOR CASIB}

In August 2023, he won Silver in the 16th IOAA in Poland in August, winning for the Philippines the first medal since the country joined the competition in 2010. In 2024, Nur won for the Philippines its first gold in the IOAA held in Brazil. 

In 2023, Nur also won Silver during the 35^th APMO held online but won Gold in 2024. 

 two Bronze awards in the month of July: in the 55^th International Chemistry Olympiad in Switzerland in July and in the 64^th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Japan also in July.  

Nur’s first Gold medal in an international competition was in 2018, at the 15^th International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO) in   Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province in China in September. 

In July that same year, he won Bronze in the 21^st Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest (PMWC) held in Hong Kong. 

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic years, Nur won in several  international competitions held online in 2021. He won Gold, Global Rank 6 in the Southeast Asian Mathematical Olympiad-X (SEAMO-X) in Singapore in January; Gold, World Rank 4 during the 25th Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (JBMO)   in    Chisinau, Moldova, Eastern Europe in  July; and Gold, World Rank 2 in the 2^nd Final Mathematical Cup-Junior Category in Ohrid, North Macedonia in September. 

In 2022, he won Gold in the China North Mathematical Olympiad (CNMO) held online in August; Silver in the Indonesia-International Mathematics Competition (IIMC) held online in July and the South Africa International Mathematics Competition (SIMC) in  Durban, South Africa in August. 

Also in 2022, he won Bronze in the 63rd International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) held in Oslo, Norway also in July; and in the 34^th APMO held online. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)