Where Did the Promil Kids Go to School?

Even Promil admits that giftedness is potential that needs to be cultivated. According to reports by the Department of Education in 2010, there are over 1.27 million gifted Filipino children. But whether it's a proclivity for the sciences or an innate skill for music, natural gifts have to be nurtured through a mix of factors.

So we revisited our favorite Promil children and looked at one factor of that development—their education—to see if it really helped mold their skills or guided them towards new ones. 

Where did the Promil kids go to school?

Wesley So

Promil Claim to Fame: Chess Master
School: Webster University (dropped out in 2015 to pursue a chess career full time)

Wesley So is a a Filipino and American chess grandmaster, a three-time U.S. Chess Champion, and the first World Fischer Random Chess Champion. 

Francis Galura

Promil Claim to Fame: Poetry
School: University of the Philippines, BA Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Currently Senior Growth Lead for Men's Titles at Summit Publishing Co. Inc.

Shaira Luna

Promil Claim to Fame: Human Anatomy
School: BS Human Biology, De La Salle University (entered college at 13 but dropped out after six years of shifting courses)
Currently a top fashion photographer in the Philippines

James Dominic Flores

Promil Claim to Fame: "The sun is the center of the solar system."
School: Psychology, Far Eastern University; MA Psychology, Pamantasang Lungsod ng Manila
Currently area chair of Psychology in San Sebastian College - Recolletos and musician

Cj de Silva-Ong

Promil Claim to Fame: Artist
School: Fine Arts, University of the Philippines Diliman
Cj de Silva-Ong was the creative director of TBWA-Santiago Mangada Puno, handling brands like Smart Telecom, Bench, Ayala Land, Oishi, and Peerless, she has won several awards for her advertising work. She passed away on June 17, 2024, at the age of 37.

Jimmy Tagala Jr.

Promil Claim to Fame: Violin virtuoso
School: Diploma in Violin Performance, St. Scholastica's College
Currently, he continues to represent the Philippines in various music exhibitions around the world. 

Jacob Sarreal

Promil Claim to Fame: Saxophonist
School: Nursing, San Beda College Manila
Currently, he and his equally talented brothers have a group called the Sarreal Brothers Wind Quartet. He also works at Trail Adventours with his older brother, Guido, and has climbed over 130 mountains in the Philippines alone.

Ira Alexis Aclan

Promil Claim to Fame: Award-winning violinist
School: University of the Philippines Manila (magna cum laude)
Currently, she's pursuing a medical degree at University of the Philippines—PGH and she also teaches violin at the Philippine Suzuki Association