MANILA, Philippines - If elected president, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wants Algebra, Calculus and Trigonometry removed from the education curriculum and replaced with Business Mathematics.

Duterte said Business Mathematics is a practical subject, noting most Filipinos suffer from Math anxiety like he does.

He admitted he got a failing grade in Economics.

“Yung Calculus alisin ko talaga yan. Dumaan kayo ng high school, ano ang natutunan niyo sa Calculus, Trigonometry? Yang Algebra palitan mo na yan ng Business Math (I would have Calculus taken out. What have you learned in Calculus and Trigonometry during high school? Let’s replace Algebra with Business Math),” Duterte said during a thanksgiving dinner at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

The dinner was hosted by two supporters of Duterte and his running mate Sen. Alan Peter Ca-yetano.

Duterte said learning unnecessary numbers and signs in Mathematics does not serve any useful purpose.

“You know there are crazy things. It does not serve the purpose at all. Pinapahirapan lang ang mga bata (you just make it hard for the kids), Business Math and Statistics, pwede pa,” he said.

“Yun lang mag-drawing ng akyat-pababa, nahihilo na ako (Drawing lines up and down makes me dizzy),” he said, referring to line graphs.

He said students should not be pressured in school with “sine, cosine” as these are not applicable when they go job-hunting.

“Use with numbers 1, 2 and 3, instead,” he said.

Duterte said subjects such as Geometry and Physics would remain in the curriculum, as these are practical and useful in one’s daily life.

He did not say anything about the country’s economy, but gave assurance that Filipinos would have decent jobs they can be proud of.

NPC to meet with Duterte next month

The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) will meet with Duterte next month as part of its vetting process on the candidate it would support in next year’s elections.

“We are scheduling him for Jan. 20 or 21 if he is available. We have communicated with him,” Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga told reporters yesterday.

Enverga said they tried to arrange a schedule for this week, but either Duterte or key NPC members were not available.

He said the mayor would be the fourth aspirant to go through the NPC vetting process.

He said no NPC member in Mindanao has so far defected to the Duterte camp. – Robertzon Ramirez, Jess Diaz