COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Social Fund Project (ASFP) helps address the inadequacy of school facilities in the ARMM with the construction of two-storey, eight-classroom school buildings in at least 12 various schools across the region with funds drawn from a loan from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

ASFP Project Manager Nasser Sinarimbo said the move is “in support to the effort of the ARMM government to provide quality education to its people.”

“Quality facilities make learning more conducive to students,” he said.

Based on the latest ASFP data, seven of these buildings have been completed and are already in use, while works on the remaining five are underway.

All 12 should be completed by December next year according to Domingo Guariño, team leader of consultants hired by JICA to assist in the project.

The ASFP signed Monday a contract with DCM Construction, a private contractor, for the construction of a similar type of school building at the Datu Mamintal Adiong Memorial National High School in Bubong, Lanao del Sur, valued at approximately P8.9 million.

Actual construction would begin in a few days and should be completed in at least 150 calendar days, according to the contract.

School principal Amimbae Dipunudun said the new building will help address the insufficiency of classrooms in their school.

She said the 15 classrooms in the school cannot accommodate its entire population of students, which is at 995 this year.

“We are forced to make use the school’s stage and faculty office for holding classes,” she said.

Dipunudun also said the school lacks teaching staff.

“We only have 12 regular teachers,” she said, “so we use some of MOOE (maintenance and other operating expenses) funds to pay for the allowance of 11 volunteer teachers.”

Bai Mayan Sinsuat, Department of Education (DepEd)-ARMM undersecretary, said her agency will find ways to complement the efforts of ASFP by providing competent teachers to schools in the region.