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Marawi City (PNA) – The two system educational set-up in Muslim Mindanao, far from enriching the Filipino Muslims identity, merely serves to make them virtual foreigners in their own country, unprepared to compete in the workplace.

Education Undersecretary Manaros Boransing made this observation and said the split identity the system engenders could boomerang on the government and necessitates proper intervention.

He has proposed that the Department of Education (DepEd) intervene in the madrasah system through an adhoc program called the Comprehensive Educational Development of Muslim Mindanao and the Migrant Muslim Communities (CEDMM).

Boransing, a Muslim academic who has served as acting president of the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, arrived at this conclusion in his proposal to the DepEd on the Islamic madaris education system.

Given this grim prospect for Muslim pupils, on whose education the future for peace and prosperity in Muslim Mindanao rests, the official said concerned Muslim leaders want President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to mention the overhauling of the madrasah system in her next State-of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) in July.

One of the systems is the mainstream public school system which follows DepEd’s National Basic Education curriculum with English as the medium of instruction. The other is the secretarian, private-run madaris which teach Islam as a religion and use the Arabic language.

In either system (even in madaris, plural for madrasah), which are "generally of poor quality," a Muslim pupil ends school without a firm grounding of basic Islamic values, the Islam religion, and the Arabic language for understanding Islam’s book of faith, the Qur’an.

In this bipolarity, the students also fails to imbibe basic education as a Filipino and as a member of the larger, mainstream Filipino society. "His identity is split".

Such dichotomy results in a "half-baked, neither-here-nor-there person without a real hold of his Muslimness, who leaves school without basic competitive skills in the real world, neither of his own ethnicity nor his Filipino roots," Boransing said.

"Muslim youths must be Filipinos who are not only culturally and functionally literate they must posses skills that allow them to compete with any other," said Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus, who handpicked Boransing for his new position.

"You see these types in dropouts like those who joined the rebel movement. Considering that many rebels were of high school age (12 to 18 years old), one can imagine the failure of present-day madaris," Boransing said.

The Muslim educator also believes that 80 percent of young Muslim students DepEd-accredited secular schools, such as the Montessori, do not perceive themselves as "ungrounded on their own religion and values."

Madaris are considered the oldest Islamic educational institutions on Mindanao. Boransing said they are recognized to be the single most important factor in the preservation of Islam faith and culture in the Philippines.

There are an estimated known 700 madaris nationwide, most of them located in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Boransing’s study said. Operated privately, some with foreign funding, they are supervised or accredited by the DepEd.

At least three madaris are located in Metro Manila, one of them operated by a Turkish whose students are from afflument families.

Saying the education is one of the 10 cornerstones of the new six-year term of President Macapagal Arroyo, Boransing said this would strengthen the madrasah education. "This is essential to the success of the ARMM," he said.

The President had signed RA 9054 making the teaching of Arabic language and Islamic values mandatory for Muslim pupils. These subjects are optional for non-Muslim students.

In addition, Boransing told PNA that an executive order on the creation of Madrasah Development Coordinating Committee is pending, while the establishment of a Madrasah Education Institution is in the works.

The Best of Pinoys

Parlimentarians for Global Action (PGA) announced yesterday that Ambassador Lauro Liboon Baja Jr., Permanent Representatives of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations, would assume the chairmanship of PGA’s United Nations Committee.

Ambassador Baja is one of the most senior and respected diplomats of the Philippines, with more than 40 years of diplomatic experience.

Prior to his appointment in New York, Ambassador Baja served as Senior Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs in charge of policy, the second highest position at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

His many accomplishments during his term as Senior Undersecretary include the Joint Statement on Cooperation for the 21st Century which he drafted and successfully negotiated with China and Vietnam; the ASEAN Joint Declaration Against Terrorism in the 2000 ASEAN Summit; the Trilateral Agreement among the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia on the Exchange of Informations and Establishment of Communications Procedure to Combat Terrorism and the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

PGA works to link individual legislators across borders and party lines, with the goal of strenghtening their capacity to pursue international peace, social justice and development.

Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) was established in 1978-1979 in Washington, D.C., USA by concerned parliamentarians from around the world to address global problems, which could not be solved by any one government or parliament.

While its initial focus was on disarmament and the prevention of nuclear proliferation, PGA today works on an expanded list of global issues such as fostering democracy, conflict prevention and management, international law and human rights, population and sustainable development.

Manila Bulletin, July 07, 2004

CLARK ZONE, Pampanga – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has ordered the further development of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here into the country’s premier international airport in five years.

Emmanuel Y. Angeles, President and Chief Executive Officer of Clark Development Corp. (CDC), said that President Arroyo told him here last week with Japan Bank International Cooperation (JBIC) for an initial P2.5-billion loan package for the initial phase of the DMIA development project.

The development project, Angeles said, will include the construction of the modern air passenger terminal designed to accommodate four million passengers yearly and a third runway to service heavy, wide-bodied passenger and cargo aircraft.

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIACor) president Gen. (retired) Alberto Yap said that some $70 million would be needed from other multilateral lending institutions to fund the upgrading work on the DMIA complex by an Italian firm, Alenia Marconi.

Angeles also said President Arroyo has considered DMIA as the government’s alternative site to support the requirements of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila.

In addition , Boeing and Airbus, world’s biggest aviation firms, are planning to set up a $250-million maintenance and logistics facility in the DMIA complex, Yap said.

Airbus is building the world’s biggest commercial airline, the A-380, a doubledeck jet plane which the company has scheduled to launch in 2006.

The DMIA complex has two parallel 3.2-kilometer runways capable of accomodating large, wide-bodied aircraft.

It has an existing passenger terminal that can service 500 passengers an hour 1.5 million passengers yearly.
The capacity of the of this terminal would be increased to four million passengers yearly in five years.

Upon full development of the DMIA complex, at least 50 international flights would be serviced daily, Angeles said.

Bienvenido Mangga, DMIA manager, said that the installation of the modern radar system will be undertaken after all the required documents will have been prepared.

Manila Bulletin, July 07, 2004

The 2004 Search for the Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) was launched by the Junior Chamber International Philippines (Philippine Jaycees) yesterday at the Gobaidon Room, Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila.

The TOYM Search is now on its 46th years and JCIP 2004 national board have commissioned JCI Sen. Noel Robert U. Escueta of Quezon City Capitol Jaycees to be national project chairman with the following as committee members: JC Emman Mateo (Malolos Jaycees), JC Melanie Loria (Legaspi Dawani Jaycees), JC Clovis Racho (Central Davao Jaycees), JC Jorge Bocobo (Alabang Jaycees) and JC JV Medina (QC Capitol Jaycees).

The launching ceremonies signalled the formal acceptance of nominations for the most coveted award, which has been conferred to an elite group of individuals since its inception in 1959 by the Manila Jaycees as a chapter project.

Later, TOYM was adopted by the mother organization, the Philippine Jaycees, and eventually by the Gerry Roxas Foundation and TOYM Foundation.

Past awardees include Napoleon V. Abueva (‘59Sculpture), Benigno Aquino (’60 Public Service), Manuel Pangilinan (’83 International Finance), Menardo Jimenez, Jr. (’98 communication arts), Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez (’01 Public Service in Print Media), Gary Valenciano (01 Arts/Concert Music) to name a few.

The TOYM has continued to uphold the ideals and the tenets of the Jaycees worldwide and in the Philippines.

As living examples of the ideals of the Jaycees, more than 450 awardees continue to provide the Filipino Youth with role models whom they can emulate and strive to surpass in achievement and vision.

Obet Escueta, TOYM project chairman, said the awards is conferred annually to Filipino men and women between the ages of 18 to 40 whose outstanding achievements in their chosen fields of endeavor have contributed greatly to the upliftment of the community and country.

TOYM 2004 Search is jointly presented by the Philippine Jaycees, the TOYM Foundation, Inc. and the Gerry Roxas Foundation, Inc.

This year’s major sponsors are Equitable PCI Bank, PLDT and the donors are Ayala Corporation, San Miguel Corporation, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation and Pagcor.

Manila Bulletin, July 07, 2004

It makes me sick, that instead of releasing Angelo de la Cruz, the terrorists chose to announce a new deadline

The new deadline in order for our government to comply was moved to approximately Wednesday morning.

It makes me sick that the government will comply and the terrorists will kidnap another Pinoy again or another nationality. Remember the Abu Sayyaff.

I thought we have learned our lessons well. The Abu Sayyaff went on a kidnapping spree even though they were given ransom at the start.

Still, Angelo de la Cruz is a fellow Pinoy.

We must not only pray. We must send our messages to Aljazeera.

It seems that the terrorists are communicating with the outside world through this website.

Let us condemn any barbaric act of kidnapping and beheading of innocent civilians who are only there to rebuild their country.

When you arrive at the Aljazeera homepage, scroll down and find "Your Feedback" link at the top left navigation.

Click now or copy to your browser. http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage

This is the time for all Pinoys and other nationalities, all over the world, to unite and secure the release of Angelo de la Cruz.

Send your messages to Aljazeera (link at the bottom). Your message can mean a lot.

He was kidnapped in Iraq by the terrorist group The Islamic Army of Iraq — Khalid bin al-Waleed Brigade, and threatened to be beheaded.

If this message is already late, still proceed to Aljazeera homepage ...

-and condemn any barbaric act of kidnapping and beheading of innocent civilians who are only there to rebuild their country.

Let’s show these terrorists that we don’t condone their un-Islamic method.

Let’s also pray that the 2 Bulgarians, also kidnapped, are also released alive.

When you arrive at the Aljazeera homepage, scroll down and find "Your Feedback" link at the top left navigation.

Copy to your browser or click this now
Aljazeera Homepage