ISULAN, SULTAN KUDARAT (22 Jan) -- "Mapiya ini a proyekto nu gobyerno su eskuwela (This school project of the government is good)," declared Sultan Senengayan, a village leader who donated 500 hectares for the Resettlement Area at Ag-ag in Sitio Kamanga, Laguilayan, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.

Like him, Sultan Kudarat governor Pax Mangudadatu is looking forward to the four-classroom building that will soon rise in the Ag-ag Resettlement Area after a ground-breaking ceremony was held last January 14, 2004.

Starting next quarter, the school will be built with funds from the CGMA Program (Classroom Galing sa Mamamayang Pilipino Abroad), a joint project of the Department of Labor and Employment Department of Foreign Affairs.

Governor Pax Mangudadatu had earlier made possible the resettlement of about 2,000 families in the government-constructed 500 housing units at Sitio Kamanga, Laguilayan, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, an eight-kilometer ride on an all-weather rough road from the National Highway passing Barangay Dukay of Esperanza town.

Water-rich and dotted with farms, Sitio Kamanga lies at the foot of Mt. Duguma (the longest mountain range in Mindanao) where peace-loving villagers are trying to start afresh after being dislocated by clashes between government troops and Moro rebels here in Mindanao.

Sultan Kudarat School Division Superintendent Sabandiya A. Balabagan, said the school building would be a big help to poor Muslims unable to find time to go to schools far away.

The Department of Education (DepEd) will provide teachers and desks as government counterpart, said Balabagan as she hoped as she hoped for a good start.