School construction begins with a groundbreaking ceremony for  four schools in the Philippines

A place where you can dream of a better future

For the past 20 years, JTS has been building schools for peace and hope in remote villages on the Mindanao Islands, a conflict zone. The school building project brought the villagers together and allowed the children to dream about their future.

In 2023, with the hope that children can dream of a better future through education, we started building four schools in Talakag, Cabanglasan and Manolo Fortich.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for the National High School in San Miguel, Talakag

JTS focused on the construction of elementary schools in remote villages with the conviction that children should at least get a basic education. In the meantime, the only high school built by JTS was Macapari High School in Damulog County. The construction of San Miguel High School began with a letter from the Superintendent of Education. In the Philippines, after graduating from elementary school, students go on to high school, but it was difficult for students who graduated from eight elementary schools in San Miguel to go on to higher education because there was no school to go to. In particular, during the three years when in-person classes were stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of marriages and pregnancies among teenagers increased, which led to suspension of studies. JTS visited San Miguel at the request of the Office of Education. JTS and the Office of Education have built up a lot of mutual trust through school construction over the past 20 years. In two temporary classrooms without electricity, over 100 children were studying hard despite poor conditions. After the field trip, JTS Philippines requested JTS Headquarters to proceed with this project as a priority, and Lee Won-joo, CEO, met JTS Chairman Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in person and explained the importance of this project. As a result, it was decided to build a high school for the continuation of the children’s studies.

Based on the strong willingness and cooperation of the county office, education office, JTS, the village, and military, the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was successfully signed on February 10, 2023, and the school site was leveled and graded.

On March 9, 2023, a groundbreaking ceremony was attended by JTS Philippines CEO, Lee Won-joo, the county office administrator, the superintendent of education, the village leader, and others.

Started expansion of the elementary school in Catablaran, Cabanglasan 

JTS also supported the construction of an elementary school in 2018, a steel bridge in 2019, and improvement of drinking water facilities in Catablaran, Cabanglasan. With the support of JTS, the county office continued to actively support projects such as expanding roads to provide for vehicular access, bringing many changes to the village. The population and  the village have grown, and the number of students has also significantly increased. The county governor and the superintendent of education asked Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, who visited the school in September 2022, to expand the school, and JTS, delighted with the changes in the village and the growth of the children, happily decided on the expansion project.

In September 2022, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim and CEO Lee Won-joo were asked to expand the school. (From left) Inokando (Deputy County Governor of Cabanglasan), Orita Blessor (County Governor of Cabanglasan), Won-joo Lee (JTS Philippines CEO), Venerable Pomnyun Sunim.

On March 10, 2023, a groundbreaking ceremony was attended by JTS Philippines CEO, Lee Won-joo, the county governor, and the deputy superintendent of education.

Groundbreaking ceremony for Cabanglasan Special Education Center (SPED)

During his visit to Catablaran Elementary School in September 2022, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, JTS chairman, was asked to build a special education school along with an expansion of the Catablaran Elementary School.  JTS, which already has experience in building three special education schools in Talagak, Sumilao, and Manolo Fortich, decided to support the project in order to enable the students to get a basic education in a more stable environment.

On March 10, 2023, a groundbreaking ceremony was held and attended by JTS Philippines CEO Lee Won-joo, the county governor, the deputy county governor, and the deputy superintendent of education.

Groundbreaking ceremony for Special Education School (SPED) in Damilag, Manolo Fortich.

In 2022, the Manolo Fortich County Office requested the construction of a special education school for Poblacion Central Elementary School in Damilag. JTS had already built a special education school in Tankulan, Manolo Fortich in 2019, but it was far from Damilag, and students with special education needs were not getting a proper education due to the burden of travel time and cost. JTS Philippines decided to build the school after a site visit. 

On March 10, 2023, a groundbreaking ceremony was held and attended by JTS Philippines CEO Lee Won-joo, the county administrative officer, and the deputy superintendent of education.

We hope that the construction of the four schools will be successfully completed and become a foundation for children to live a better life through education. JTS is grateful to be able to enhance the development of the village and help the children grow for their future.