By Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The military in Basilan is now pursuing efforts at winning peace in this
island-province by supporting programs and projects that promote quality
education.
Recently, the military has assisted
in the construction of two new classroom buildings for two high schools in
Isabela City, namely, the Cabunbata National High School and the Baluno
National High School.
According to the Western Mindanao
Command, these school buildings were collaborative projects between and among
the Department of Education(DepED)-IX, the local government of Isabela City,
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), and the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task
Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P).
Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held
in both schools last June 27 to inaugurate the new classrooms built through the
US government humanitarian assistance program.
Present during the ceremonies were
Provincial Administrator Tahira Ismael, Isabela City Schools Division
Superintendent Dr. Hilda Babon, Isabela City Mayor Cherrylyn Santos-Akbar, and
Joint Task Force-Basilan Commander Colonel Carlito Galvez. The U.S. government
was represented by officials from USAID and JSOTF-Philippines.
In her speech during the cutting
ceremony at Cabunbata National High School, Mayor Akbar expressed her gratitude
for the project that provided an additional three classrooms and comfort rooms
to the school. The school currently has more than 300 students enrolled.
“One year ago, this [project]
started with the parents and the principal, who brought their idea to the city,
and we [in turn] brought it to the AFP,” she said adding “Isabela City is very
fortunate to receive this funding and the untiring support from everyone
involved.”
Col. Galvez echoed Mayor Akbar’s
sentiments saying that under his watch, the AFP would do its part to ensure the
success of the schools and he would continue to pursue partnerships with these
stakeholders “to bring civil-military projects like this to Basilan.”
Baluno National High School
Principal, Lyna Basri, explained that the students who were holding their
classes in the old agricultural stockrooms will now be transferred to the new
classrooms.
The two school buildings are
one-story with each having three classrooms, comfort rooms, septic tanks, and
water tanks.
Both schools were nominated by the
AFP for the funding program, the second of the seven projects of the JSOTF-P to
be implemented this fiscal year in southern Philippines.
“Before Baluno National High School was chartered, the
tremendous distance and cost made secondary education impossible for many children
here,” explained Basri.
“This project was very well deserved. This school is the
fruit of hard work, persistence and dedication of everyone involved,” she
concluded. (FPG/RVC/WESMINCOM/PIA9-ZBST)