MANILA, Philippines – The Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) has assured parents and families of the “safety and wellbeing” of the hundreds of Philippine participants at the 25th World Scout Jamboree in South Korea, as organizers begin evacuation from the campsite on Tuesday, August 8, due to an approaching typhoon.

“We would like to assure the parents and relatives of the Scouts from the Philippines participating in this world jamboree that we are on top of the situation and measures are taken for the safety and well being of our Scouts,” said BSP national president and Agusan del Norte 2nd District Representative Dale Corvera, who is leading the Philippine contingent.

Typhoon Khanun is forecast to hit southern areas of South Korea, including the jamboree site, on Thursday, August 10.

Corvera said in a statement that he was in close contact with Philippine embassy officials in South Korea. The Philippine contingent also held an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the start of the evacuation.

The BSP said that the Philippine contingent includes 401 scouts and scout leaders.

More than 1,000 buses are being deployed to move the 36,000 scouts from more than 150 countries remaining at the campsite. Seoul and its surrounding province of Gyeonggi would host more than 16,000 scouts, with others fanning out to six other areas of South Korea, said South Korea’s Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.

The initial number of participants at the event was over 50,000 from 155 countries but conditions on the ground – topped by a heatwave – prompted the United Kingdom and the United States, among others, to withdraw from the event earlier. The event coincided with the highest heat warning by authorities in four years.

Concerns about cleanliness and food, not just the heat, drove the British contingent to leave the event, the head of UK Scouts said on Monday.

Prior to the evacuation plan, some countries, including the Philippines and Argentina, had said they would remain at the campsite despite the heatwave, citing the effort of the host government to improve the situation.

Poland will to host the next World Scout Jamboree in 2027. – With reports from Reuters/Rappler.com