A 16-year-old Filipino student from the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) won the prestigious English Speaking Union’s (ESU) International Public Speaking Competition held in the United Kingdom on May 9.

Gian Karlo Dapul bested other contestants, including college level students, from 30 countries at the ESU’s headquarters in London. His five-minute speech entitled, “Fish mucus and Foot Fungus” focused on how scientific research could serve as a cure-all for many of the world’s problems. He won praises not just because of his speech delivery but with his confident way of responding to questions from the panel of judges. The finals were held at the US Embassy in London. Dapul was the last speaker among finalists from Thailand, Poland, Bulgaria, Argentina, Lebanon and China.