Education in Sulu, Pagasinan
A vital lifeline and strategic power point in the Asia-Pacific region is the Sulu Archipelago, which connects North and South Asia at the northern end of the strategic Strait of Malacca and into the South China Sea. Each year, the strait is home to 90,000 ships carrying oil and natural gas through the South China and Sulu-Celebes Seas into North Asia and the western Pacific. Since the end of World War II, this region has been the contested battleground of an all-out struggle among Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims.
Since 2002, AAI has been conducting peacebuilding efforts through socio-economic development programs in partnership with dynamic Christian, Muslim, and traditional indigenous communities. These communities are the masters of the forests, mountains, and littoral seaborne areas. Beginning in 2002, AAI was established at the request of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, and guerrilla leader Nur Misuari as a bridge between warring factions. At the time, Sulu was considered the most dangerous area in Southeast Asia, with the highest levels of murder, kidnapping, disease, and lack of educational facilities. No rule of law existed, and it was widely regarded as an ungovernable territory.
For the first time in modern history, AAI brought the warring naval tribes together while China was raising the stakes, seeking to exploit the instability as a tool for control over valuable resources. AAI countered these destructive forces through the people’s most cherished possession: their children. It did this by transforming barren schools into safe havens for children, especially those between kindergarten and sixth grade, where the dropout ratio was overwhelming.
It has taken 24 years to encourage public schools to become masters of their own destinies through professional School Improvement Planning. One such example is Pagasinan, located on an island adjacent to Jolo City. During the past four years, AAI has supported its transformation into a place where children can feel wanted and confident that they can have a better future.
