DAVAO CITY—Japan provided grants last week amounting to $286,680 (approximately P15.3 million) to four community projects, including a crisis center for children running in conflict with the law, in three Cotabato areas.
The Crisis Center for Children in Conflict with the Law would be built on a lot in the municipality of President Roxas in North Cotabato, which the municipal government has requested. Japan gave $63,062 (or P3.3 million).
In granting financial assistance to the municipal government, Japan acknowledged the formation of the latter as an “immediate concern, especially that the local government does not have the proper facility to admit [children in conflict].”
A statement from the Japanese embassy said the project would provide a one-story crisis center and would include furniture.
“It is expected to give a safe haven for male children in conflict with the law in President Roxas where they can be interned for the duration of their court trial.”
It said the children’s facility would also provide intensive interventions “to prepare [children in conflict with the law] for their reintegration to their respective families and communities.”
Three other facilities were assisted and included the construction of an elementary classroom building in Cotabato City, a building for vocational and technical school in Tampakan, South Cotabato, and a water system in Tupi, also in South Cotabato.
Japan gave $67,984 (P3.7 million) for the construction of classrooms for Datu Ayunan Elementary School in Cotabato City to replace dilapidated classrooms of the Grade 1 “making it unsafe and unconducive to conduct classes.”
The building would have three classrooms and provided with school furniture. Some 100 pupils would benefit from it.
The one-story building for technical-vocational education and training center in Tampakan town would be built through a cash assistance of $80,485 (P4.3 million). The vocational education aimed to fill the gap of a high percentage of underemployment and unemployment due to limited capability of their residents, the Tampakan municipal government said. A big number of out-of-school youth has added to the problem.
Meanwhile, Japan gave $75,149 (P3.9 million) for the construction of a Level 2 water supply system in Barangay Kablon in the municipality of Tupi that was requested by the municipal government, which reported that “children and women have to spend around four to six hours every day just to fetch water.”
“In addition, water sources was found to be unsafe as they contain bacteria that could cause diseases,” it said.
The project includes the construction of water system in Sitio Latil, Tukaykalon and Taluban of Barangay Kablon. Upon completion, 308 households or more than 1,000 individuals would have better access to potable water. The project was also expected to reduce occurrence of water-borne diseases among the families in the community with the provision of a water treatment facility.
A Level 2 system consists of piped water with a communal water point or source, usually a bore well or spring system.
Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda and the representatives of the recipient organizations, whose areas were also in former conflict zones, signed the four grant contracts in Cotabato City on December 13.
The Japanese embassy said the projects were funded through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects that the embassy implements as part of the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-Bird).
The embassy said Japan “believes that these projects would contribute to the peace and development in Mindanao.