Maguindanao Islamic School gets P2.7M

COTABATO CITY – The 52 year old-Shariff Aguak Ibn Ampatuan Islamic Memorial Academy of Maguindanao receives P2.7 Million financial assistance from the Department of Education (DepEd) to revolutionize its quality of teaching in line with DepEd Order No. 51 series of 2004 – implementation of Standard Madrasah Curriculum (SMC).

The DepEd Order No. 81, series of 2007, authorizes the grant of financial assistance to private Madaris (Arabic schools) for the implementation of SMC with the purpose of further strengthening peace and development in the country.

The SMC integrates Islamic Studies and Arabic Language (ISAL) [Qur’an, Aqeedah and Fiqh, and Seerah and Hadith] with Restructured Basic Education Curriculum (RBEC) subjects [English, Filipino, Math, Science and Makabayan].

Earlier, DepEd had alloted P19.2 million-aid for private Madaris all over the country and 80% of the fund (P15.6 million) is granted to Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), having the biggest number of Madrasah schools.

Undersecretary for Madaris Education, DepEd-ARMM, Shiekh Mohammad Faried S. Adas said, “The Shariff Aguak Academy envisions to be the center of Madaris education in the Philippines where students could achieve balanced education, both secular and divine knowledge.”

The Academy is formerly known Madrasah Rasheeda Labu-Labu in 1957 and took its new name in 2008. With its reconstructed stage, the site today has an area of five hectares where eight school buildings had already erected. Each classroom has a complete set of facilities including computers where students can learn during laboratory classes.

Further, the campus had set up a library, water reservoir, rest rooms and school van that could cater the presently enrolled more than a thousand Muslim students.

The Academy offers elementary to tertiary education with 43 ISAL and RBEC teachers, all are Asatidz (plural of Ustadz). The SMC is offered to Grades 1 and 2 while ISAL is from Grade 3 to Kulliyah (College).

The P2.7 million-financial aid will augment the full implementation of the Academy from old curriculum to SMC. It had started implementing SMC in School Year 2006-2007 with support from the Bureau of Madaris Education, DepEd-ARMM and Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao of Australian Agency for International Development (BEAM-AusAID).

Former Maguindanao governor Datu Andal S. Ampatuan Sr, the Academy’s president emeritus said, “We aim to produce academically competitive, socially and morally upright Muslim generation through the supervision of competent and dedicated Asatids.”

The Shariff Aguak Ibn Ampatuan Islamic Memorial Academy is one of the 26 pilot Madaris of ARMM that benefited DepEd’s financial aid. (BPI-ARMM)