In Bangsamoro, more kids seen going to school

COTABATO CITY–Education officials in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are all set for the opening of classes on Monday which is expected to see more children trooping to schools compared to last year.

According to Education Minister Mohaqher Iqbal, his office is anticipating an increase in enrollment this year from across all levels, both in public and private schools.

Johnny Balawag, director for basic education of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), said they were looking at 1,100,838 students enlisting for the incoming school year, an increase of 21,585 children compared to last year’s 1,079,253 students.

In a statement, Iqbal said the increase in enrollment reflected a growing demand for quality education in the autonomous region.

“We are surpassing our enrollment targets, indicating a positive trend in the region’s educational landscape,” Iqbal said.

He credited the trend to BARMM interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim’s putting education in his top priority, recognizing it as “a cornerstone of growth in the region.”

The BARMM government, Iqbal said, vows to achieve quality and balanced education while also “ensuring that no child should be left behind in terms of access to education in the Bangsamoro region.”

Ahead of the school opening, MBHTE said that it had invested more on school buildings, classrooms and learning materials this year, in the run-up to the school opening.

Iqbal announced that the construction of about 700 new classrooms had been completed and about 500 other school buildings had undergone repairs to make these ready for the resumption of classes.

“Brigada Eskwela” activities are undertaken throughout the region to prepare the classrooms, especially in areas recently hit by floods.

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Iqbal also announced that the MBHTE, through its Human Resource Management Division, is now accepting applications for teachers for deployment to the Special Geographic Area, which is composed of eight new towns out of 63 villages that used to be part of Cotabato province.

Meals program

In time for the new school year, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines launched on Tuesday the “Farm-to-School” meals program for school children in targeted municipalities in the BARMM.

Japan is providing about $5 million for the three-year program which will be implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP). It seeks to provide nutritious and diversified meals to around 10,000 students every school day so that they receive adequate nutrition that aids their learning, growth and achievement.

The meal program will use locally harvested crops, especially those grown by small farmers.

The program launch was attended by Iqbal; Nihei Daisuke, minister for economic affairs of the Japanese embassy; WFP Philippines deputy country director Dipayan Bhattacharyya; BARMM Agriculture Minister Mohammad Yacob; and BARMM Health Minister Kadil Sinolinding.