From Numbers to Notes: UP’s Io Calica shines as UAAP Chess silver medalist, NAMCYA piano winner

The recently-concluded UAAP Season 87 Chess Tournament spotlighted Io Aristotle Calica, a prodigious talent who first gained national attention in 2017.

At just eight years old, Io became a social media sensation when he attended and flawlessly answered questions in an Integral Calculus class at the University of the Philippines – Diliman.

Now 15, Io added another chapter to his extraordinary story.

On the same day he was awarded the Board 4 silver medal for going undefeated in 10 rounds and helping UP secure a runner-up finish, he also clinched 3rd prize in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation (NAMCYA) Piano Junior Category.

What makes Io’s UAAP chess run even more remarkable is that he wasn’t supposed to play competitive chess anymore.

In an interview with Tiebreaker Times, Io’s mother, Isa Calica, shared how his chess journey almost ended during the pandemic.

“January last year, yun ko lang din siya ulit pinayagan mag-chess. Pero prior to that, yung three years ng pandemic, bawal talaga siya mag-chess. So parang nakasali lang siya nun sa ilang NCFP online tournaments,” Isa explained.

She went on, “After noon, pinahinto ko na kasi online yung pag-aaral. Sa halip na nag-aaral, nagche-chess siya. So feel ko nun hindi makakatulong, kaya binan muna namin sa bahay.”

Io first discovered chess at the age of four and showed exceptional promise a year later by qualifying for the regional athletic meet. However, his grade school years were dominated by his extraordinary aptitude for mathematics, which saw him attending collegiate-level math classes while still in elementary school.

“Grade 3 lang siya nun. Dinala namin siya sa UP nun kasi nga masyado na siyang advance sa math for elementary. Nagkataon din yung institute of math na magsit-in siya, so dinadala namin siya every week,” Isa recounted.

“Kasi at that time sa school niya, hindi na rin siya uma-attend sa grade level math niya. Nung Grade 1 siya, Grade 6 na Math yung ina-attendan niya.”

Io’s brilliance in mathematics continued to shine on the global stage. In 2019, he was one of the gold awardees at the World International Mathematical Olympiad (WIMO) Final held in Tokyo, Japan.

Amidst his accomplishments in math and chess, Io also pursued his passion for music. He began playing the piano at the age of six or seven, around the same time he started attending advanced math classes at UP.

“Gusto ko lang talaga mag-piano. Nag-start ako nung mga 6-7 years old. Kasabay nung nagsisit-in ako sa math sa UP, naka-enroll na ako sa extension program ng UP College of Music,” Io shared.

Currently, Io is enrolled in the Bachelor in Music program, majoring in piano, at the UP College of Music. He is one of its youngest students, having entered college at 15 following his accelerated homeschool education.

“Nung nag-pandemic kasi, nag-decide na rin kami to shift into home schooling. Tapos yung US curriculum siya. Yung home school provider kasi is hindi DepEd. Sa kanila kasi, ina-allow nila yung parang grade-level acceleration. Di siya nag-skip ng grade kasi dinadaan niya pa rin lahat. Pero may mga certain grade-level na ginawa niya na dalawa sa isang taon like yung Grade 9 and 10, isang taon lang yun,” Isa explained.

“Homeschool provider niya is Home Life Academy tapos most of the subjects niya is with Arizona State University. Kasi nga dahil home schooling, pwede kang mag-enroll sa iba’t ibang mga schools. Pwede kang maghanap ng ibang program. Merong online courses si Arizona State U so marami siyang nakuha doon.”

Despite his early accomplishments in math, Io admitted his interests have shifted in recent years.

“Dalawa lang yung options ko talaga eh. It’s either a music-related course or engineering, math. Ganun. Honestly din kasi, di na ako masyadong nag-focus sa Math in recent years,” he said.

With four years of eligibility remaining, Io’s stellar performance in the UAAP sets the stage for an exciting journey with UP in the seasons to come.

After finishing as runners-up to the four-peat champion University of Santo Tomas, Io is poised to be a key figure in UP’s pursuit of a championship.