Lebron James is making his mark on the international stage—of mathematics!
Named after the famous basketball player, the 12-year-old Lebron James Bermudez Pornillos is proving that age is no limit when it comes to big dreams. The young math whiz from General Trias City, Cavite led the 14-member Philippine delegation at the 2026 Singapore International Math Olympiad Challenge (SIMOC), bringing home two gold medals and a silver medal while also earning the Overall Runner-up distinction in the Grade 6 category.
Pornillos secured gold in the individual Math Olympiad and another gold as part of the Math Master Mind team challenge. He also earned silver in Math Warriors, making him the Philippine delegation’s most decorated individual competitor in the competition.
The Philippine Embassy in Singapore noted that Pornillos’ three competition medals reflected his “extraordinary mathematical ability, teamwork, and consistency” throughout the event. His Overall Runner-up recognition was separate from his three medals, and was determined by SIMOC through a combinination of participants’ scores from both individual and team events before naming the top three performers in each grade level.
Pornillos competed against 2,285 students from 1,113 schools across 40 countries and territories during SIMOC 2026, held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. The competition featured three challenging components: the individual Math Olympiad tested students with 25 questions to be answered within 90 minutes; Math Warriors focused on mental calculation and strategic thinking; while Math Master Mind challenged participants to make quick calculations and decisions under time pressure.
Competing in the Upper Primary Division for Grades 4 to 6, Pornillos showed that Filipino students can hold their own among some of the brightest young minds from around the world.
The Philippine delegation collectively brought home 19 awards—six golds, six silvers, six bronzes, and one honorable mention—reminding us that Filipino brilliance can certainly add up to something extraordinary.