“I’m truly delighted that all the villagers participated in building the school”

Hello. It’s the second day of our visit to Mindanao, Philippines.

Today, we built and inaugurated schools in two indigenous villages located in San Fernando municipality.

Sunim and the JTS delegation departed from Valencia at 5:30 AM, heading towards Mabawag village where the inauguration ceremony was to be held.

After about 50 minutes by bus, we had breakfast at a small restaurant. After a quick meal, we boarded the bus again and continued our journey.

**Mabawag School Inauguration Ceremony
**
We parked the bus on the main road and began climbing the mountain path. From this point, the bus couldn’t proceed, so we had to walk for an hour.

We started climbing the mountain path at 7:40 AM. As we continued up the incline, our breathing became labored and our bodies were drenched in sweat. When Sunim became short of breath, he would pause briefly to wipe away the sweat before continuing.

We arrived at Mabawag village at 8:30 AM. First, we entered the building that had been used as a school previously. With over 70 children having to study in two small classrooms, they had to divide their studies into morning and afternoon sessions. The leaking roof and dirt floor had always been obstacles to the children’s learning.

Passing the old school building and climbing a bit higher, the newly constructed school came into view.

As Sunim arrived in front of the school, villagers and students greeted him warmly.

“Maayong buntag!” (Good morning!)

The students enthusiastically danced to music, welcoming the JTS delegation.

Sunim took a tour around the school. The school was not yet fully completed, with construction still in progress in various areas. Although they couldn’t finish the construction in time for Sunim’s visit, they decided to proceed with the inauguration ceremony.

The JTS delegation and officials from the municipal government and education department all lined up for the ribbon-cutting and unveiling ceremony.

“One, two, three!”

The villagers and parents cheered loudly, expressing their joy.

Next, we sang the Philippine national anthem together.

First, the principal gave a welcoming speech to the JTS delegation, followed by a progress report from Mr. Noh Jae-guk, the representative of JTS Philippines.

**A School Built by the Sweat and Effort of the Villagers
**
“The existing temporary school that the Mabawag children attended consisted of two flimsy wooden classrooms. The children had to study in cramped spaces, divided into morning and afternoon sessions, with leaking roofs and dirt floors hindering their learning. In August 2024, the visit of JTS Philippines brought new hope to the villagers. Through discussions with the residents, a plan was made to utilize the existing building as a multipurpose space and construct four new wooden classrooms and a toilet.

Without budget support from the local government, the residents gathered gravel and sand themselves, and worked together to raise the roof and continue the school construction. Every morning, villagers woke each other up to start the day together. Men carried wood and rebar, while women prepared warm meals for those working hard. Even young children participated in the construction, carrying soil with their small hands.”

Next, the students performed a celebratory show. Mabawag village is home to about 400 Tigwahanon indigenous people, and they have preserved their traditional culture well. All the students wore traditional clothes and performed traditional dances.

The dance told a story of two men who liked the same woman. When the woman chose one man, the other man killed her.
The children’s dancing skills were impressive. The JTS delegation applauded enthusiastically, amazed by the high-quality performance of the children.

Next was the ceremony for handing over the certificate, key, and clock. Sunim presented the certificate to the mayor, JTS representative Park Gena handed over the key to the deputy superintendent of education for Bukidnon Province, and representative Noh Jae-guk presented the clock to the principal.

The faces of the applauding villagers were filled with joy.

Then Sunim came forward to give a congratulatory speech. He first expressed gratitude to those who worked hard to complete the school, and then made three promises to the villagers and students.

“I’m delighted to meet you all. My heartfelt congratulations on the completion of Mabawag Elementary School. I’m very happy today because, just like when I first came here 20 years ago to build a school for indigenous children, all the villagers participated in building this school themselves. Moreover, I’m even happier that the children are preserving their traditional culture passed down from their ancestors without losing it. It’s very important for children to wear traditional clothes, perform traditional dances, and play traditional games. Please give a big round of applause to encourage the young students who showed us the traditional dance today.

People should live their lives independently without relying on others. However, when there are young children, patients suffering from illness, and people experiencing difficulties due to disabilities, we should help each other. Also, we should develop our village with the strength of its residents. JTS doesn’t help when people say, ‘Please help us with this.’ However, if people say, ‘We will do this, but we lack this,’ JTS is willing to help. The residents of Mabawag village donated the land themselves and said they would build the school themselves. But they said they lacked materials to build the school. So JTS gladly supported them with materials.

First, please give a big round of applause to those who donated the land. Please also applaud for the leader of Mabawag village who built this school together with the residents. And please give a big round of applause for the villagers who worked hard together to build the school.”

The applause and cheers continued. Sunim resumed speaking.

“Although the school is not yet complete, it seems it will be finished soon. The completion of the school marks the first step towards education. To move on to the second step, we need to equip the classrooms with desks, chairs, study materials, and school supplies. The third step requires good teachers and hardworking students. An education official is here today, and I hope you will send enough good teachers so that the children can study. Will you promise?”

“YES!”

The Deputy Superintendent of Education promised in a loud voice.

“And I have a request for the parents. You must not keep your children from school because of something happening at home. Even during busy farming seasons or when there are weddings, children should go to school, so please make sure to send them. I also have a request for the students. The school has been well-built thanks to your parents’ efforts, and the education office has promised to send enough teachers, so please study hard. Do you understand?”

“YES!”

The children also answered in loud voices. Sunim made three promises.

“If you keep your promises, I will also make promises for the students and villagers. First, I will provide all the materials needed for construction until the school toilets and teachers’ quarters are completed. Second, I will support all educational equipment and school supplies, including desks and chairs, so that students can study. Third, if you need anything to preserve and teach your traditional culture, I will support whatever is necessary.

People must maintain their dignity. To maintain dignity, one must preserve one’s culture. Among cultural elements, preserving one’s ethnic language, clothing, and dance is most important. Many species live in this natural world. However, due to climate change, more and more species are becoming extinct. We must prevent this extinction of species. Only then can our planet be sustainably maintained. Similarly, due to the great changes of globalization today, the traditional cultures of minority ethnic groups and minority religions are gradually disappearing. Our traditional culture is an invaluable heritage that has been passed down from our ancestors for a long time. We should preserve this traditional culture while respecting the cultures of other ethnic groups at the same time. When diverse cultures coexist, culture develops and becomes richer. If you need anything to preserve your traditional culture, JTS will help together. Once again, congratulations on the completion of Mabawag Elementary School today. I also thank the mayor and other distinguished guests for participating.”

All the students and parents cheered and applauded loudly at the promise of continued support.

After Sunim returned to his seat, the mayor gave a thank-you speech, followed by a response from the Deputy Superintendent of Education of Bukidnon Province. The Deputy Superintendent emphasized the significance of the completion ceremony, the future vision, and the importance of education.

“These structures—the school building, the teacher’s cottage, and the toilets—are not just mere structures. They symbolize our dreams and our commitment to equity and the promotion of quality education right here in Sitio Mabawag. Together, we are planting seeds of hope for our future generations.”

Finally, the village chief gave a thank-you speech.

“This school is a new beginning for our children. This space that we built together with our own hands is not just a building, but our collective dream built with hope and love. I want to express my gratitude to JTS, the local government, the education office, and all the villagers.”

Everyone moved to the school’s front yard for a commemorative tree planting. As they planted the tree with shovels, everyone prayed together for the children to grow up healthy and strong.

In a celebratory atmosphere, everyone took a commemorative photo together.

“Thank you so much, JTS! Mabawag!”

Then, they went into the classroom for refreshments. The villagers had prepared food with great care. There was plenty of homegrown corn and bananas.

Sunim made another promise to Riselyn, the village leader.

“You’re doing very well in preserving traditional culture. I’ll support whatever you need to teach traditional culture to the children. Keep up the good work!”

“Thank you.”

Sunim and the JTS delegation went back down the mountain path. The downhill path was much easier to walk.

Writer Kim Hong-shin was having difficulty walking because the sole of his sneaker had come off.
Sunim got a string from the village and tied his shoe.

After descending the mountain path in 40 minutes, Sunim boarded the bus parked on the main road.

After traveling by bus for 30 minutes, the group encountered an unpaved road. Everyone disembarked from the bus and switched to trucks and four-wheel-drive vehicles. The elderly passengers rode inside the trucks, while the rest, including Sunim, climbed into the truck beds.

Bungbung School Completion Ceremony

After traveling on the unpaved road for 30 minutes, the group arrived at Bungbung village. Sunim first inspected the existing school building. It had only bamboo walls with the interior fully visible, and an earthen floor that would flood when it rained.

Sunim sat down in the area where the children studied. The desks were merely a few pieces of wood placed across supports. Upon exiting the old school building, the newly constructed school could be seen across the way. The site had been prepared by cutting into the mountainside.

Students and parents were all seated, warmly welcoming Sunim and the JTS delegation. As soon as all the guests arrived, the ribbon-cutting and unveiling ceremony began at 2 PM.

“One, two, three!”

All the residents and students cheered joyfully.

Next, the Philippine national anthem was sung.

Once everyone was seated, the mayor gave a welcoming speech.

“Today is a happier day than any other. I hope that this area will be developed, the new school will be built, and the children will gain much knowledge. We will continue to protect and preserve this school, so please continue to support us.”

Next, Mr. Noh Jae-guk, the representative of JTS Philippines, explained the process of building the school.

“Although Bungbung village currently has a small population of 135, it is expected to gradually increase, including the number of students. The government-led road construction project started in 2023, and the road in front of the school was well-maintained, making it easy to transport materials. The school site was made possible thanks to the Datu (village leader) who donated 2 hectares of land. We divided two regular classrooms into four and built teacher accommodations as well. After deciding to build the school, at the mayor’s suggestion, we swapped the location of the school site on the mountainside, which was dangerous for students, with the villagers’ homes. We then cut into the mountain to build the school building.”

Next, the students performed a traditional dance. It was a performance celebrating the joy of studying in the new school. The children holding spears appeared to express gratitude to their parents who hunted and gathered in the mountains, enabling them to study. The performance well depicted the life cycle of the children growing up and forming families through dance and music.

All students, regardless of grade, knew the dance moves. Everyone applauded loudly to encourage the students.

Following this, Sunim presented the completion certificate to the mayor, Park Gena, JTS representative, handed over the commemorative key to the Deputy Superintendent of Education of Bukidnon Province, and Mr. Noh Jae-guk, representative of JTS Philippines, presented a clock to the school principal.

Students, Are You Happy With the New School?

Next, Sunim gave a congratulatory speech.

“I sincerely congratulate you on the completion of Bungbung Elementary School today. Students and parents! Are you happy that a new school has been built?”

“YES!”

All the students and parents responded in a resounding voice. Sunim continued.

“Many people’s efforts went into building this school. The county governor prepared the school site and paid for all the wages of the technicians who built the classrooms. Originally, the school was going to be built on that hill over there, but the governor made it possible to build it down here because it would be dangerous for the children. Please give a round of applause to the governor in appreciation. Also, the Department of Education has said they will send good teachers. Please give a round of applause to the representative from the Department of Education.”

Applause erupted.

“The parents have worked hard to build this school. Students, please say ‘Thank you’ to everyone.”

The students shouted their thanks loudly.

“If you’re thankful, what should you do next to show your gratitude? Why do you think this school was built?”

One student raised their hand and answered.

“The school was built so we can learn how to write and read.”

“Good. Everyone worked together to build this school so that you can study well. So, students, you must study hard. If it rains a lot, will you come to school or stay at home?”

“We’ll come to school.”

“Then, if your parents are busy with farm work at home and tell you not to go to school but to help with the farm work, will you help with the farm work or come to school?”

“We’ll come to school.”

“Good. Then if your uncle is getting married and your older sister is getting married, and your parents tell you not to go to school because there’s a family event, what will you do?”

“We’ll come to school.”

“Good. I grew up in the countryside like you. But during my six years in elementary school, I never missed a day. Raise your hand if you’re willing to come to school without missing a day, no matter what happens.”

Most of the students raised their hands.

“Let’s give a round of applause to those who raised their hands. If you listen well to your teachers and come to school every day without being absent, JTS will provide all the school supplies you need to study well, including bags, books, and notebooks. We will also build more classrooms if the number of students increases. (Everyone applauds) Today, the students performed traditional dances. I ask that you don’t forget your cultural traditions and continue to preserve them. If you need anything to help preserve your traditions, we will support you in any way we can.”

All the parents were delighted. Then, the county governor gave a response.

Next, the deputy superintendent of education gave a response.

“This school is not just a building. It’s a bridge for children to fulfill their dreams through education and to promote inclusivity and opportunity in the community. Your generosity and cooperation are planting seeds of hope for future generations.”

Next, the principal gave a response

“We gladly accept this beautiful building. We will preserve it well, and we hope that one day, one of our students will visit Korea to express their gratitude.

Next, a commemorative tree planting took place.

The completion ceremony concluded with everyone taking a commemorative photo in front of the newly built school building.

“Bungbung!”

Moving to the classroom, everyone enjoyed the meal that the teachers had prepared with care. Sunim also made one request to the Datu couple.

“We will support everything needed for the children to learn traditional culture, so please preserve the traditional culture well.”

While everyone else was eating, Sunim finished his meal early and immediately headed to his accommodation in Valencia by car to conduct the live broadcast of the Weekly Dharma Assembly.

After arriving at the accommodation at 4 PM, Sunim took a shower and prepared for the Weekly Dharma Assembly. Due to the slow internet speed at the accommodation, he went into the city center and found a hardware store with the best internet connection.

Seated at a desk in the hardware store’s office, Sunim began the live broadcast at 6:30 PM local time, which was 7:30 PM Korean time. Once all the Jungto Society members had entered the video conference room, Sunim greeted them.

“I am greeting you now from Mindanao, Philippines. This year, JTS Philippines has built five schools for children with disabilities and five schools for indigenous people in Mindanao. As a result, we are holding opening ceremonies for ten schools over the course of a week. The opening ceremony for the school that requires a four-hour walk to reach was conducted earlier by Mr. Noh Jae-guk, the representative of JTS Philippines, and other volunteers. I am participating in the opening ceremonies of nine schools. The indigenous people are minority ethnic groups living in the mountains. In indigenous villages, transportation is inconvenient and the number of students is small, so there are either no schools or they use roughly woven bamboo buildings as schools. Therefore, the residents, local government, and county office worked together to build these schools.

You might think, ‘Isn’t this the job of the Department of Education?’ However, the Department of Education lacks the budget to build schools. Due to insufficient funding, most schools in cities are already overcrowded and operating in two shifts, so they cannot focus on building schools for these minority groups. Therefore, JTS has decided to support school construction to ensure that minority groups can also receive education. JTS Philippines has three main educational projects in Mindanao. First, building schools for indigenous people who have become minorities due to living deep in the mountains. Second, constructing schools in conflict areas where they cannot operate due to security issues caused by Muslim rebel conflicts. Third, considering the circumstances in Mindanao where they lack the capacity to provide education for children with disabilities, JTS is building schools for children with disabilities within central elementary schools in each county. Currently, our society’s atmosphere is unsettled due to emergency martial law and we all need to focus on restoring constitutional order quickly. So, I felt a bit burdened about going abroad. However, martial law has already been lifted, and because our country’s civic awareness is very high, I believe that although there may be some confusion, we will resolve it well. I am grateful for your various practical activities over the weekend, even amidst this unsettled situation. Over the past two days, we have held opening ceremonies for four schools. I will briefly introduce them with photos and then continue our conversation.”

Sunim showed photos of the four school opening ceremonies that had taken place so far and vividly shared local news.

Next, we watched a video of Sunim’s visit to the Rohingya refugee camp last week, where he delivered 6.36 million bars of soap. After the video ended, Sunim engaged in a dialogue with the questioners.

Three people pressed the raise hand button and asked Sunim questions. After answering all the questions, it was already time to conclude. The live broadcast ended with a promise for next week.

Upon returning to his accommodation, Sunim had a conversation with the JTS visiting group before retiring for the night. Tomorrow, he is scheduled to attend the opening ceremonies for schools for children with disabilities (SPED) in three locations: Maramag, Quezon, and Damulog.