Japanese Amabassador Turn-over 5 - Classroom School Building

August 26, 2009


Cotabato City-Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura turned-over yesterday, August 25, 2009, a 5-classroom school-building, fully furnished with tables and chairs worth 8,848,917 Japanese Yen (US $78,309) to the Bai Hanina Sinsuat National High School in Barangay Kusiong, Datu Odin Sinsuat (DOS), Province of Maguindanao.

The project funded through the Embassy of Japan’s Grant Assistance for the Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP) and implemented by the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) will benefit 210 high school students in the community composed of 80% indigenous peoples (IPs) and 20% Muslims and Christians.

The Japanese government had launched J-BIRD in December of 2006 as part of its commitment to support peace and development efforts in Mindanao. The program has been providing assistance in construction and rehabilitation of school-buildings, training centers and water supply systems through the GGP program.

Ambassador Katsura was joined by DOS Municipal Mayor Datu Ombra Q. Sinsuat, Sr., who donated the 500 sq. meter lot used for the building, in the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon and unveiling of the building marker. Also present during the event are Japanese embassy officials, Bai Alibai Benito Aliuden, Al-Haj, Maguindanao Assistant Schools Division Superintendent, Datu Ibrahim B. Gulan, the school’s founding principal, DSWD-ARMM officials and staff, and the school’s students and their parents.

The Japanese ambassador also personally donated notebooks to the students saying that he was deeply touched when he heard that the school used only four makeshift classrooms and understood how difficult it was for the students and the mentors alike.

“I can just imagine the challenges that the school management had to go through just to provide the student with high quality of education,” Katsura said.

Katsura expressed high hopes that the students will study harder to develop their potentials in a better and more comfortable learning environment.

DOS Municipal Mayor Sinsuat expressed deep gratitude for the very big help and convenience the Japanese government has extended to the people in his municipality.

“We deeply thank the Japanese people for their enormous help to our people especially our students. This time the Japanese landed for peace and not for war,” Sinsuat jokingly said.

Last week, ARMM Regional Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan gathered together the prime movers of basic education in the Autonomous Region in the first-ever ARMM Basic Education Donors Forum where the Japanese government represented by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) took part as one of the international donor institutions instrumental in the implementation of key programs to improve the quality of education in the region.

Ampatuan underscored the importance to synchronize efforts in improving the education sector and to maximize the impact of the development assistance from donor institutions such as the government of Japan. (bpi-armm)