PURA, Tarlac – A newly-built school building handed over to Maungib Elementary School in the town of Pura, Tarlac by the Japanese government on July 13, 2026.
The six-classroom, single-story structure with comfort rooms, was turned over during the ceremony under the Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) of the Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) program. The project was funded through a P4,472,960 grant from the Japanese government signed between Pura Mayor John Paul Balmores and Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya in 2024.
Second Secretary and Grant Officer Mukaigawa Yurie and First Secretary and Labour Attache Suzuki Yuki, both of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, led the turnover on behalf of the Japanese government.
The new facility takes the place of the school’s main classroom building which was damaged by termites, seriously threatening the building’s collapse. The old structure was also broken down with uneven and cracked concrete floorboards and a roof full of holes.
Balmores expressed his gratitude to the Embassy of Japan for creating a safer and more conducive learning environment for the students, and said the project was an expression of the longstanding friendship between Japan and the Philippines. He also recognized Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Engr. Abegel Pagatpatan, focal person for the grant.
The ribbon-cutting and the recreation of Japan’s Tanabata Festival were held in each of the six new classrooms with Mukaigawa and Suzuki tying wishes written on colorful strips of paper to bamboo branches with the students.
The GGP scheme will help small-scale, community-based development projects in the Philippines as part of Japan’s ODA program.
Japan turns over new school building to Pura
