Ambassador Kazuya Endo signed a grant contract on March 17 with ChildFund Japan to support the project “Promoting Peace Education and Enhancing Learning Environment for Coexistence in Barangay Siguel.” Barangay Siguel is a rural area where residents of diverse backgrounds, including ethnic minorities and Muslims, coexist. However, the community faces challenges beyond poverty and inadequate infrastructure; discrimination and prejudice persist due to differing tribal and religious values. Delays in addressing these issues within educational settings have exacerbated social tensions. Fostering mutual understanding and dialogue among youth from different cultural backgrounds is now considered an urgent concern.
Additionally, teachers and school staff have had limited training on how to engage with students from diverse backgrounds. Strengthening educational ethics that contribute to regional peace remains a priority. Through a grant of $321,273 under the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects, dilapidated classrooms will be replaced and sanitation facilities will be installed at a public junior and senior high school serving 1,577 students in Barangay Siguel. The project aims to promote peace and multicultural coexistence by helping students develop the dialogue skills necessary to overcome prejudice. Teachers will receive training in pedagogy that supports regional peace and intercultural understanding. Following the training, students will lead peer teaching, multicultural exchanges, and recreational programs to foster community harmony. Since 2002, Japan has supported 69 projects across the Philippines through the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects, totaling 2.092 billion yen. Japan believes these projects will strengthen the friendship between the Philippine and Japanese people while bolstering the strategic partnership between the two countries.
