Japan continues support for IPs in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - In southern Mindanao, indigenous peoples like the B’laan and T’boli have kept their traditional ways of life. However, they have been forced to leave their lands and settle in higher places after the influx of immigrants from Luzon and the Visayas in the 1930’s. The presence of multinational companies since the 1960’s has also accelerated the trend. Even today, the indigenous peoples sometimes face discrimination, and lead a harsh life in higher lands far from urban centers.

Barangay San Jose, General Santos City is one such area. People in the barangay need assistance in education, health and livelihood.

Japanese Ambassador Toshinao Urabe and Yukiyo Nomura, country director of ICAN Philippines, recently signed a grant contract for the second year of the “Community Development Project with the Children of Indigenous Community in Mindanao.” The $240,693 (P9.8 million) project is funded by the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects, a grant funding program of Japan’s Official Development Assistance.

In phase 1 of the project, ICAN constructed and equipped two classrooms at the Shuttle Elementary School, and also conducted seminars for schoolchildren and teachers to deepen their understanding on the culture of indigenous people. Health and livelihood programs were also implemented.

Phase 2 of the project will expand the achievements in the first phase. ICAN will construct and equip two classrooms at Bia-o Primary School in the same barangay, providing an environment that is more suitable for indigenous children so that the children will accept their identity positively.

In addition, the second phase will include empowerment of supreme pupil government, capacity development of teachers on education for indigenous children, enhancement of health in the community level, improvement of livelihood through production and sale of handcrafts.

The Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects started in the Philippines in 2002, with 33 projects amounting to P256 million. Japan believes that this project will strengthen not only friendship but also the existing strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines.