USM R & D J 16(1): 1-6 (2008)

ISSN 0302-7937

Strengthening Islamic education in Southern Philippines:

an evaluation of the Philippine Madrasah Program
Joy Gloria P. Sabutan

Professor V and Dean, Graduate School, University of Southern Mindanao,

Kabacan Cotabato Email: bellejagger61@yahoo.com Tel: (+63-64) 248-2378

A report submitted to the Institute on Training and Development (ITD), Amherst, Massachusetts.
Sponsored by The Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, USA

Key words: Bangsamoro people, Philippine-US Relations

Chapter 1

Objectives and highlights of the study

An evaluation of the “Philippine Madrasah Project” or PHM by the Institute on Training and Development (ITD)
in Amherst, Massachusetts with funding from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (BECA) of the
U.S. Department of State was conducted from July to December 2007. The Philippine counterpart for the
project is the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), a state-owned university in Region XII with the mission
to “help accelerate socio-economic development, promote harmony among diverse communities and improve
quality of life through instruction, research, extension, and resource generation in Southern Philippines.
The Philippine Madrasah Program (PHM) was established in September 2005, and was designed to bring 15
leading Bangsamoro educators and administrators twice a year for three weeks of travel and study grant in
the U.S. The program ended in December 2007. Since its inception, two groups of educators have visited
the United States, in September and November 2005. The introductory sessions on American education
provided participants with a basis for analyzing their experiences during visits to American schools, houses of
worships, and government offices. The participants were exposed to education in the US through sessions on
foundations of US education, participatory learning, preparing students for citizenship, developing integrated
curricula, values education, setting priorities for schools, school financial management, and human resources
development. In addition to the lectures conducted, the participants took part in jumat services in the Amherst
and Shrewbury Muslim communities on Fridays, and visited historical places, museums, the Philippine
Embassy in the US, the State Department, and the International Islamic Center in Manhattan.

The Philippine Madrasah Program (PHM) had the following objectives:

1. To deliver an overview of American education, diversity, and democratic principles, and to introduce
American educational methodologies, job skills programs, school-community relations, and school
administration practices.
2. To introduce the role of religion in American life and to visit an array of American houses of worship,
meeting with American religious leaders and congregation members;
3. To introduce democratic practices within American schools and religious organizations, and to encourage
and facilitate a discussion on the benefits and challenges of democratic principles, civic education, and
religious tolerance;
4. To encourage networking: among the participants, among madrasah leaders all over the Philippines, and
with American presenters and site visit hosts;
5. To help participants plan proposals for appropriate and relevant mini-grant projects that will meet the
needs of their schools and communities.

The focus of the PHM program was the application of the participants’ experiences in the US when they
get back to their respective Madrasahs in the Philippines. At the very start, the participants were asked to


envision the future of their schools considering the strengths and the areas needing improvement. At the end
of the second week, the participants identified the areas that needed improvement and their corresponding
recommendations. As an offshoot, each participant prepared a draft proposal and described a project to be
implemented. Each was given $1000 for the purpose of improving teaching methods, educational facilities,
and curricula in the participant’s home school. The USM as partner institution for the project, administered
these funds, released 75% of the funds up-front to the alumni, and the final 25% after the completion of the
project and submission of a written report.

There were 30 Bangsamoro educators and administrators who participated in the Philippine Madrasah Project
since it started in 2005. This report focused on the two batches of participants and the evaluation of these
PHM groups was based on the following experiences and materials:

• July 26 - August 13, 2007 - discussions with ITD staff through emails and phone calls, reading of ITD
proposals and reports from the first two years of PHM implementation (September and November 2005)
and framing of the questionnaire.
• August 16 - 17, 2007 - piloting of the questionnaire. The evaluator traveled to Pikit, Buluan, Cotabato
City, and Marawi City accompanied by the USM counterpart, Dr. Samson L. Molao who introduced
the evaluator to the PHM alumni and oriented the alumni on the purpose of the evaluation. Three
respondents were tapped in the questionnaire pre-testing. One representative per group was identified
from Maguindanao, Cotabato City, and Marawi groups. The evaluator personally conducted the pre-
testing.
• August 18-24, 2007 – finalization, reproduction, and administration of the questionnaire. A 45- item
questionnaire was administered to 20 participants in collaboration with Ms. Kris Engstrom from ITD
during the period July 15 to August 13, 2007 through email and telephone conversations. There were 23
participants but the 3 participated in the pre-testing of the questionnaire, thus were not anymore included
in the final run.
• August 27 to September 6, 2007 – floating of the questionnaire by group (Maguindanao, Cotabato City,
and Marawi). The survey questionnaire was personally distributed by the evaluator with the assistance
of three alumni who were tapped in the pre-testing. The interview schedule method was applied in this
survey. A total of 18 alumni completed and returned the survey forms out of the 20 distributed by the
evaluator. Efforts to retrieve the questionnaire from the two respondents was exerted but was not able
to do so since the respondents had other commitments in Zamboanga City. Other PHM alumni were not
able to participate in the evaluation because of the following reasons: one went to work in the Middle
East, some had prior commitments, and some can not be contacted anymore by their local coordinators.
The survey focused on the following issues: participants’ satisfaction with the PHM project; changes in
teaching, curriculum, and school management; impact on learning and the community; impact of the
project on other Madaris or on public schools; impact of the project on the community where the school is
located; impact of the international conference on Islamic education in Indonesia and Philippines; impact
on views towards the United States of America; ways in which the US government can improve relations
with Bangsamoro people; and impact of the program on their professional lives.
• September 5-21, 2007 – conduct of focused-group-discussions (FGD). During this time the evaluator
conducted FGD in the three groups. The Cotabato City and Marawi groups had five alumni and the
Maguindanao group had three who took part in the FGD. The evaluator had thorough and in-depth
interviews that were recorded through video, voice recording, and digital camera.
• October 2007 – collating of data, and writing of the report. Data collected were summarized and plotted in
tables to facilitate interpretation. Results were then discussed and written in report form.
• November 2007 – finalization of the report. The written report was reviewed for accuracy, clarity, and
coherence. The final form of the report was then made.
• December 9-10, 2007 – presentation of the research findings to the ITD alumni. The evaluator traveled to
the survey sites and presented the final report to the ITD alumni for comments and concurrence with the
findings.
• December 15, 2007 – After the alumni found the report accurate and truly reflective of their responses to
the evaluation, the report was submitted to the ITD in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.

Highlights of the study

1. Participants’ levels of satisfaction with the PHM program and the program providers. Results
showed a very satisfied level of overall satisfaction with the Philippine Madrasah Project (PHM), and
a similar very satisfied level of satisfaction, both on the participants’ impression of the program in the


 United States and on the services provided by ITD staff during their stay in the US. The respondents
commended the US for being generous to a 3rd world country like the Philippines and especially to
Bangsamoro people who are members of the cultural communities. The component with the greatest
impact and significance was the mini-grant project ($1,000) as claimed by the alumni. The project,
enhanced the library holdings and made possible the acquisition of computer sets, and capability building
among the teachers.

The following notes were gathered on how the ITD met the goals of the program, namely: ITD as a
service provider gave excellent service to the alumni and equipped them with experiences on how to
strengthen the Madrasah (school) and improve Islamic education in Southern Philippines, taught them the
basics on administration and management of schools, and gave them opportunities to observe practices
in American schools worth emulating.

2. Changes in teaching, curriculum, and school management. Results showed that majority or 59.38%
of the respondents claimed little change in teaching, curriculum, and school management aspects
while 27.08% claimed a big change in teaching, curriculum, and school management. Professional
development or teacher training had a big change as declared by the alumni. As regards the curriculum,
most Madrasah followed the curriculum prescribed by the Department of Education (DepEd).

Notes on other changes were gathered during interviews, namely: the curriculum now accommodates
both the DepEd curriculum and Islamic education, Madrasahs now use the modern approach to teaching
which is student-centered, teaching techniques have improved, learning resource centers were put
up, more reading materials, and computer sets were acquired, increased access of some alumni to
the internet, use of the Computed-Aided Instruction or CAI, Madaris (professionals) were sent to in-
service trainings, and some innovations in the management of school systems like transparency in their
governance and a pro-student environment were implemented.

3. Impact of the program on learning and the community. Majority or 59.82% of the alumni declared
that the project had some impact on learning and the community while 37.50% claimed that there was a
big impact.

Notes gathered from personal interviews with the alumni showed the following impact: putting into
practice more rigid discipline on students, morestudent-centered activities, evident community support
for Madrasah, improved class attendance of both teachers and students, improved student reading
skills as a result of increased library holdings, more teachers interested to conduct research because
of the acquisition of computer sets, eagerness of students to learn both Arabic and English in school,
and increased motivation of teachers to do their assigned tasks because of transparency in school
management.

4. Impact of the program on the Madrasah or on public schools. Based on the result of survey and
interviews, majority or 66.67% claimed that the project had some impact on the Madrasah or on public
schools while 31.25% claimed that the project had big impact on Madrasah and public schools.

The following were noted during interviews conducted with the PHM alumni, to wit: equal access
to Madrasah eliminating discrimination against students, established linkages with other Madrasah,
strengthened school planning activities, and paved the way to Madrasah Improvement Plan (MIP)
– making a world-class Madrasah, started linkage with Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) and
Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) which also fund Madrasah programs, and increased
awareness on the operation of model and world-class Madrasah in the US.

5. Impact of the program on the community where the school is located. Results showed that 48.44%
indicated some impact while 45.31% declared a big impact of the project where the school is located.

Some notes were recorded as follows: other stakeholders such as the business sector, Local
Government Units (LGU), Parents Teachers Community Association, and Non-government organizations
are now actively involved in the Madrasah and are willing to cooperate with and support the program;
students and teachers are involved in community service, and social integration has improved among
Christians and Bangsamoro people.


6. Impact of the program on the International Conference on Islamic Education in Contemporary
Indonesia and Philippines. The survey indicated that 57.29% of the alumni claimed there was some
impact while 35.42% said that there was a big impact.

Some observations were listed: the PHM alumni understands holistic education, the Madrasah prepares
students not only for spiritual development but also for life and work, experiences and best practices done
were shared among PHM alumni as well as the Pesantren counterparts and information on how to get
support from other agencies like USAID, AUSAID, UNDP and CIDA was shared.

7. Impact of the program on participants’ views of the United States. Results indicated that most of
the alumni (41%) claimed they had a little more favorable views, of the US, 21% had far more favorable
views and 26% had no change on their views.
Other notes gathered were: a great majority of participants reported strong positive impressions, notable
change from negative to positive view towards the American people, admiration for the American
government’s intention to help the Madrasah, realization that the American people and President Bush
are two different things, belief in the goodness of Americans, recognition of democracy in the US as the
real one as compared to that in the Philippines, respect of American people for all other religions, and
America best symbolizes human leadership and true democracy. Without exception, all interviewees
expressed deep unhappiness with U.S. Pres. Bush’ policies in the Middle East.

8. Ways how the US government could improve relations with Bangsamoro people. Most of the
alumni or 42% strongly agree and 38% agree that the US government should provide additional study
programs, increase budget for mini-grants, and sponsor study grants for teachers and other sectors
like representatives from Barangay Local Government Units (BLGUs). The US government should also
support the present peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Bangsamoro people.

9. Impact of Program on your professional life. The survey revealed that majority or 59% claimed
they strongly agreed the program had a positive impact on their professional lives while 17% and 23%
moderately agreed and agreed, respectively.
Other responses recorded from the interviews conducted were: ITD program greatly improved their
proficiency in teaching and management; the US study tour renewed their interest in teaching; their
self-confidence has increased; they discovered that education is self-enriching and fulfilling; in order to
attain peace and development in Mindanao, they must first eradicate poverty and increase literacy with
teaching the Bangsamoro youth; the program increased the level of concern for the Madrasah and the
Bangsamoro children; and peer teaching was effective in improving learning for all children.
Most of the respondents claimed that the PHM program broadened their educational perspective by
seeing the different angles of educating the youth, and learning new teaching strategies.

Chapter 2

Background and program rationale

The Government of the Philippines places high priority on the development of Mindanao. It launched the
Mindanao National Initiative that aims to foster equity, stability, and upliftment of the Mindanao people.
Mindanao is an Asian Development Bank (ADB) priority geographic area in the Philippines, given its high
poverty incidence and low levels of social development. The poorest part of Mindanao is the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The ARMM was created in 1991 and covers five provinces, namely: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao,
Sulu and Tawi Tawi; and the city of Marawi. The population in 2000 was 2.87 million or 3.8% of the national
population. Muslims are the dominant social group (76%), followed by Christians (11%), and indigenous
people (13%). The poverty incidence, at 71% in 2000, was the highest in the country, and almost doubled the
national average of 40%. Average household income was about 57% of the national average; life expectancy
is 10 years less, and infant mortality was 30% higher.

Education in the ARMM is marked by a long history of deprivation and underfunding, resulting in levels of
educational development far below the Millennium Development Goals for education, and well below national
achievements. The elementary net enrolment rate in 2001 was 82% compared with the national average


of 96%, and the secondary school participation rate was the lowest in the country (39% in 2001, compared
with the national average of 72%). The cohort survival rate of 40% at the elementary level was only half of
the country’s, while a maximum of only 20% of children who began elementary school completed secondary
schooling.

Most children in the ARMM are enrolled in public schools, but many also attend Madrasah on weekends for
religious education. Madrasah are privately-operated Islamic schools covering mainly primary education. In
ARMM alone, there are 440 Madrasah, of which only 44 were accredited, with a pupil population of almost
90,000. Most concentrate on Islamic religious and cultural teachings, with Arabic as the medium of instruction.
The graduates of Madrasah have difficulty finding employment because they are weak in Filipino, English,
and numeracy. A small number of Madrasah (around 35) offer the national basic education curriculum along
with religious education, and were accredited by the Government. The sector is diverse, as each Madrasah
operates independently and curricula vary considerably according to the background and country of training
of the operators and teachers.

Most Muslims belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. A very small number of Shi’a believers live in the
provinces of Lanao del Sur and Zamboanga del Sur in Mindanao. Approximately 20.4 % of the population of
Mindanao are Muslims, according to the 2000 census. Members of the Muslim community are concentrated
in five provinces of western Mindanao, the only provinces in which they represent the majority: Maguindanao,
Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. Large Muslim communities are also located in nearby Mindanao
provinces, including Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao
del Norte, and North Cotabato. Sizable Bangsamoro neighborhoods can also be found in metropolitan Manila,
on the northern island of Luzon, and on the large western island of Palawan.

By law public schools must ensure that the religious rights of students are protected. Bangsamoro students
are allowed to wear their head coverings (hijab), and Bangsamoro girls are not required to wear shorts during
physical education classes.

In many parts of Mindanao, Bangsamoro students routinely attend Catholic schools from elementary to
university level; however, these students are not required to receive Catholic religious instruction.
About 14 % of the school population in Mindanao attend Islamic schools. There are 1,569 Islamic schools
(Madrasahs) across the country. Of these, 53 % are located in the ARMM. To date, 1,140 Madrasahs seeking
financial assistance from local and foreign donors are registered with the Office of Muslim Affairs, while
only 35 are registered with the Department of Education. This situation is due primarily to the inability of
the Madrasahs to meet the Department of Education’s accreditation standards for curricula and adequate
facilities.

President Arroyo had called for the integration of the Madrasahs into the country’s national education system.
During the 2002-2003 school year, the Government began to implement a program called Education for
Peace and Progress in Mindanao, the goal of which was to integrate Madrasahs into the country’s national
education system and “to foster religious understanding between the country’s Muslim minority and the
Christian majority.” The five-point program agenda included information and communications technology,
Madrasah education, peace education, Mindanao culture and history, and teacher training. The program
initially involved Madrasahs in the ARMM, with the intention of eventually expanding to all Mindanao
provinces. Some critics however have stated that the government program violates the prohibition against
state-funded promotion of religion.

Some high-level government officials have claimed that a number of Madrasahs in Mindanao were teaching
extremism and inciting young persons to take up arms for their faith and noted that these Madrasahs were
functioning without the Department of Education’s supervision. Some Muslim leaders denied the allegations
and, in response, accelerated efforts to integrate Madrasahs into the national education system. In June
2002, the ARMM’s Bureau of Madaris (Madrasahs), an agency under the oversight of the national Department
of Education, submitted an integrated curriculum, for both public and private Madrasahs, to the Department
of Education. The curriculum incorporates the teaching of the Arabic language and new courses on Islamic
values. ARMM officials also called for a new national Bureau of Arabic Language to serve as a coordinating
body in the teaching of Arabic language and Islamic values to primary and secondary Madrassahs.
These issues are compounded in schools by a set of resource-related issues including a lack of classrooms
and teachers, especially at the secondary level; continuing deterioration of school buildings; a shortage


of teaching and learning materials; limited funding for school operations and professional development
of principals and teachers; poor quality of teaching; and frequent disruptions to schooling caused by the
armed conflicts. Improved local level planning and management through implementation of the new law on
decentralized basic education management could help alleviate some of these problems.

So far, government programs and measures instituted over the years to improve the plight of Bangsamoro
students and the conditions in Islamic schools seem ineffective, thus the prevailing conditions persist. The
Philippine Madrasah Program (PHM) desires to broaden the perspective and enrich the experiences of
Madrasah teachers through travel and study in the US with the hope that they apply learning and insights
gained to their respective Madrasahs in the Philippines.

Because the program focused on the teacher as a significant factor in effective teaching and believes in the
ripple effect of an effective and efficient teacher, the evaluator believes that the rationale for the Philippine
Madrasah Program is very relevant. –TO BE CONTINUED NEXT ISSUE (Editor).