Minister for Economic Affairs Akio Isomata congratulates Sibonga Municipal Mayor Lionel Bacaltos during the turn-over ceremony of “The Project for Construction and Renovation of Classrooms at Manatad Elementary School” on November 11, 2011 in Sibonga, Cebu. Photo below shows the newly constructed school building being used by around 300 students. |
Minister for Economic Affairs , Akio Isomata , of the Embassy of Japan attended the turnover ceremony of “The Project for Construction and Renovation of Classrooms at Manatad Elementary School” on 11 November 2011 in Barangay Manatad, Sibonga, Cebu.
The ceremony was witnessed by Sibonga Municipal Mayor Lionel Bacaltos and representatives from the Department of Education (DepED). The project, amounting to US$92,934 (approximately 4.3 million pesos), is funded through the Embassy of Japan's Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).
Manatad Elementary School, one of the twenty-two public elementary schools in the Municipality of Sibonga, is located in the remotest part of the municipality. The classrooms, which were constructed in the 1970s, we re dilapidated and in dire need of repair. The school compound also used to get flooded during rainy season. The teachers and students were forced to conduct their classes amid such conditions.
In response to the circumstances, the Municipal Government of Sibonga sought the assistance of the Embassy of Japan. By the project, c onstruction of new f ive-classroom building and renovation of three classrooms have been conducted. In addition, armchairs and teachers' desks and tables have also been provided. Around three hundred students of the said school benefit from this project.
Minister Isomata stated in his speech, “Providing children with as many opportunities for education as possible is a cornerstone of nation-building and investment in the future. I firmly believe that the children of this school will maximize the great potential of Cebu and the Philippines, studying hard in the newly constructed and repaired classrooms and continuing to study thereafter.”
The Government of Japan, as the top ODA donor for the Philippines, launched the GGP in the Philippines in 1989 for the purpose of reducing poverty and helping various communities engaged in grassroots activities. As of October 2011, 453 grassroots projects funded by GGP – ranging from roughly 1 to 4 million pesos – have been implemented by NGOs, local government units and other non-profit organizations. The total grant for these projects so far amounts to US$20,943,230. Japan believes that this project will strengthen not only friendship between the peoples of Japan and the Philippines but also the existing strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines.
Japanese Version
