HON. TOCAO MASTURA
Mayor, Municipality of Sultan Kudarat
BRIGADIER GENERAL HJ MAZLAN BIN ABAS
Deputy Head of Mission, International Monitoring Team
MAJOR CARLOS SOL, JR.
GRP Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities
MR. TOKS EBRAHIM
Chairman, MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities
DR. DANDA JUANDAY
Board of Director, Bangsamoro Development Agency
SHEIKH ABDULKARIM GARAY
President, Ibn Taimiyah Foundation Academy, Inc
Teachers and Students
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and gentlemen:
Assalamu Alay Kum! (Peace be with you)
First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your warm welcome to me and to my colleagues. I am very pleased to be here with you all and join this turnover ceremony.
It is a great honor that the Government and people of Japan had an opportunity to support your efforts by providing better educational facilit ies here in the Ibn Tamiyah Foundation Academy. With the grant of 3. 4 m illion pesos, the five -classroom building furnished with desks and chairs now stands before us.
This project is one of the 40 grassroots projects that the Government of Japan supported since the launching of the Japan – Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development or the J-BIRD in 2006. The J-BIRD shows Japan's determination to support peace and development efforts in conflict affected areas in Mindanao. Under the J-BIRD,
Japan has funded 19 school building projects in Mindanao . A mong these projects, this is our first assistance for a Madrasah . I hear that the school management incorporated English education curriculum in 2002. I hope this assistance will help this school adapt to the new situation.
I have also been informed that in order for your school to conduct classes in all levels, you were forced to reduce the whole-day schedule to a half-day. I can imagine the difficult challenges your school management had to go through in order to provide your students with high quality education. At the same time, I really admire your determination and commitment to provide quality education for your students despite the lack of educational facilities. Now, the construction of the new school building was completed and you can conduct the whole-day schedule again. I would like to encourage students to study harder and learn necessary English skills as well as the traditional Islamic values under the improved learning condition in this Madrasah.
Let me mention Japan's contribution to the International Monitoring Team or IMT. Japan has contributed to the peace process through the dispatch of social development experts to the IMT. One of the experts is Mr. Tomonori Kikuchi who is here with us today.
In closing, I would like to thank all of you who painstakingly worked for the successful completion of this project. I truly hope that this school building will always remind us of the collective efforts of the Japanese and Filipino people to improve the learning environment for the students in this region.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines