Wanting only the best for the Bangsamoro learners was what Minister Mohagher Iqbal committed in his speech during the 1st Provincial Education Summit of Basilan held today, June 6, at Lamitan City Gymnasium.
“As a father and as the head of the Education Ministry, I will not settle for less for the Bangsamoro learners. I want the best for them,” Iqbal emphasized.
The Provincial Government of Basilan believed that the summit served as a platform to showcase innovative and successful initiatives that have been implemented in other provinces or regions that may be worth adopting into its context.
Further, the summit provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the issues and challenges in the education sector in Basilan, which included the learning gaps, low cohort survival, subpar facilities, teacher shortages, and constrained educator capacity, and developed practical solutions to address them.
In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), education is vital not only because it is a priority of the Bangsamoro government’s development plans, but it is the bedrock on which we build the hope and future of the next generations.
In his speech, Iqbal underscored that the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) has always been very supportive of the welfare of the Basileños.
According to him, the ministry hired a total of 235 teaching and 2 non-teaching personnel in Basilan Schools Division Office (SDO) and 37 teaching and 4 non-teaching for Lamitan City SDO.
Additionally, a total of 1,027 scholars of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduated with various skills training and for this year, 1,394 are expected to graduate. A TVET Training Center worth Php 32-M is also expected to rise in Maluso, Basilan.
On the other hand, as per the latest enrollment data of Basilan SDO this 2023, out of 41,532 enrollees in the elementary, 28,253 were IP learners and 9,684 for secondary. For Lamitan City SDO, there are 2,693 IP learners.
The MBHTE provided 28 Alternative Learning System (ALS) teachers for Basilan SDO and 17 for Lamitan City SDO. As of January 2023, there are 3,251 ALS learners in the entire province. The ministry has also recorded 121 and 77 SPED learners for Basilan and Lamitan SDOs, respectively.
Alongside all these accomplishments, 211 ISAL teachers were hired for Basilan SDO and 94 for Lamitan SDO. The ministry is also expected to be hiring another 71 for both divisions.
To ensure that Basileños will have equal opportunity to graduate from college, the MBHTE, through its AHME Scholarship Program, had extended 620 scholarships to qualified and deserving students.
As of writing, the MBHTE has also ongoing infrastructure projects for both divisions. 53 classrooms built, 18 buildings repaired, and 1 covered court was constructed at Basilan SDO and there were also 25 newly constructed classrooms in Lamitan.
Iqbal stressed that by establishing partnerships and collaborations, investing in the professional development of teachers, promoting the use of technology in education, and addressing health and nutrition concerns, significant strides in improving the quality and accessibility of education in the Bangsamoro region can be achieved.
“By recognizing the importance of education and understanding that it is everyone’s responsibility, we can collectively own the resolution of these learning gaps,” he added.
“As the Minister of the MBHTE, I urge all of you to embrace our collective responsibility, and work tirelessly to build a brighter and prosperous future for the Bangsamoro region,” he concluded.
