Turnover Ceremony for “The Project for the Construction of Classrooms for Del Pilar Elementary School in New Corella, Davao Del Norte” under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP)

On May 7, 2019, Second Secretary Atsushi Kobayashi of the Embassy of Japan attended the turnover ceremonies for “The Project for the Construction of Classrooms for Del Pilar Elementary School in New Corella, Davao Del Norte.”

The project was approved in 2016 and is part of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). Regional Director Alberto Escobarte of the Department of Education Region XI, and Schools Division Superintendent Ms. Josephine S. Fadul of Davao del Norte also graced the turnover ceremony.

Every year, enrollment in Del Pilar Elementary School has been continuously increasing. Due to the limited capacity of the municipality to construct new classrooms, there is congestion in the existing school buildings. This limitation also triggered the school to utilize existing dilapidated classrooms to conduct classes for the students.

In line with the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD)*1, and through the GGP, the Embassy of Japan provided assistance to the Local Government Unit of New Corella with a grant amounting to Seventy Seven Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety One US Dollars (USD 77,991) or approximately 3.2 million pesos to address the shortage of classrooms in Del Pilar Elementary School. The grant covered the construction of four (4) units of classrooms with the necessary school amenities which will directly benefit more than 650 students in the municipality.

 The Government of Japan, as the top ODA donor for the Philippines, launched the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects in the Philippines in 1989 for the purpose of reducing poverty and helping various communities engage in grassroots activities. At present, 543 grassroots projects have been implemented by the GGP. Japan believes that these projects will not only strengthen the friendship between the peoples of Japan and the Philippines but also contribute in sustaining the strategic partnership between the two countries.


Note*1: Since 2006, Japan has been intensively implementing the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects and other ODA projects for conflict affected areas in Mindanao, collectively called J-BIRD (Japan-Bangsamoro Initiative for Reconstruction and Development). Their total amount is over 200 million US Dollars. Furthermore, when former President Aquino made a state visit to Japan last June 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe expressed at their summit meeting his support for the efforts by the Government of the Philippines to secure enduring peace in Mindanao, and stated that the Government of Japan will promote J-BIRD II in view of the establishment of a new autonomous political entity.