CITING the serious threat of kidnapping to foreign nationals, young math aces from 10 countries, along with their team officials, have backed out of the 15-nation Challenge for Future Mathematicians (CFM), which the Philippines is hosting next week.
But officials of the Mathematics Trainers Guild Philippines (MTG), the contest organizer, told the Inquirer yesterday the math competition, scheduled from Oct. 26 to 29, would push through “rain or shine” in one of Manila’s top hotels.
The MTG, formed in 1995 to promote excellence in math in the country, successfully organized foreign math contests in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2013 in the cities of Tagbilaran, Iloilo, Naga and Tagaytay, respectively.
Hope for success
Simon Chua, MTG president and cofounder, expressed optimism that next week’s event would still be a “huge success” despite the withdrawal of the teams from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, Singapore, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, India, Nepal and South Africa.
Delegates from four other countries—Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam—have sent word that they will take part.
Palace: RP safe
Each team will be represented by 16 contestants from primary grades 3 to 6 and junior high school grades 7 to 10.
Malacañang confirmed the withdrawal of several foreign delegations.
Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, however, expressed hope the representatives of the 10 nations “would reconsider or give the organizers an opportunity to assure them that the Philippines is a safe venue for the competition.”
In a text message, Coloma wished the contest organizers success.
Out of fear
Two other MTG officials—Joseph Wee and Robert Degolacion—lamented that many of the delegates had decided not to compete “out of fear.”
At least two math teams were “advised by their governments to reconsider coming here due to the threat of kidnapping and other crimes,” the MTG officials said. They declined to name the countries represented by the teams.
Recent seizures
Most, if not all the teams, expressed concern over the Sept. 21 abduction of Canadian tourists John Ridsdel and Robert Hall and Kjartan Sekkingstad, the tourism resort’s Norwegian operations manager.
A Filipino woman was seized with them by gunmen believed affiliated with the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.
The authorities are still tracking the kidnappers, who were reported to have taken their captives to the hinterlands of the island-province of Sulu.
The Canadian government has advised its nationals against traveling to the Davao region and nearby areas, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
It also urged its nationals in the Philippines to “exercise a high degree of caution due to an ongoing terrorist threat to Westerners and Western interests.”
Warning from Australia
Australia also issued a similar travel advisory telling its nationals to “exercise a high degree of caution.”
“Terrorist attacks could occur at anytime, anywhere in the Philippines, including in Manila,” warned that country’s Department of Foreign Affairs.
Australians were also advised not to travel to central and western Mindanao and to reconsider plans to go to eastern Mindanao.