Army breaks barriers of faith, builds 1st Madrasah school for Muslims in Bicol

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 10): Army breaks barriers of faith, builds 1st Madrasah school for Muslims in Bicol

The Philippine Army’s 565th Engineering Construction Battalion, 51st Engineering Brigade, broke the barriers of faith and creed by building the first Madrasah School for Muslims in Bicol.

With logistical support from the ABS-CBN Sagip-Kapamilya Program, Army engineers were able to finish the project in only 60 working days instead of 90 calendar days.

The Army and the ABS-CBN Sagip-Kapamilya Program turned over the two-room building to the Department of Education on Oct. 8 at the Daraga North Central School, Barangay Bagumbayan, Daraga, Albay.

Present during the turnover, ribbon-cutting and blessing of the Madrasah building were Tina Monson Palma, program director of ABS-CBN Sagip- Kapamilya; Lt. Gen. Caezar Ronnie Ordoyo, Southern Luzon Command chief; Brig. Gen. Yerson Depayso, 9th Infantry Division commander; Col. Vicente Yordan, 51st Engineering Brigade commander; and Lt. Col. Bernard M. Bautista, commanding officer of the 565th Engineering Construction Battalion.

The building’s symbolic key was accepted by Daraga Mayor Gerry R. Jaucian; Bebiano Sentillas of DepEd; Hadji Nawaf Nor, president of the UMADA Muslim Community; and Rocaya N. Abdulfatah, teacher of ALIVE pupils.

Along with the establishment of the Madrasah, the DepEd will be implementing the Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) curriculum every Saturday and the regular curriculum on weekdays.

The school is also open for all Muslims who want to study, regardless of grade level and age, especially those out-of-school youths.

Nanet B. Kapitbahay, principal of Daraga North Central School, thanked the sponsors for choosing their school as a pilot Madrasah in the region.

Kapitbahay said they are expecting more students to enroll, knowing that a school for Muslims has been opened for them in Daraga.

She added that this kind of project connotes only the equality of education, regardless of culture and religious orientations, among Christians and Muslims who also hope to attain their dreams.

“The Madrasah will be used for teaching Islamic studies and religious law and is intended to accommodate the religious needs of our Muslim brothers and sisters in the area with more or less 90 pupils,” Depayso said.

He said the Philippine Army in Bicol under his leadership will continue to pursue this kind of projects with the help of its partners and stakeholders as its manner to show support, thrust and unity among Christians and Muslims.

“May there also be unity among us in spite of differences in faith and creed. Let’s work together for the betterment of Bicol Region and to become productive citizens for a better country” the Army division commander stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=575112