The Davao City-based Japan consulate general office has turned over a PHP5.1 million building facility to the Datu Igwas IP (Indigenous People) Integrated School in Sitio Embasi, Barangay Perez here, the local government said on Thursday.

In a statement, the city information office said Japan Consul General Yoshihisa Ishikawa on Wednesday led the turnover of the four-classroom building funded under the consulate’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects.

“The construction (of the facility) started on May 2022 and was completed this March for the junior high school students”, Ishikawa said during his speech.

Mayor Jose Paolo Evangelista thanked the consulate for providing a comfortable environment for IP learners.

“This is essential for the learners to broaden their interest to study”, the mayor said in a statement, adding that the new building will enable the school to accommodate its increasing number of learners.

Sitio Embasi, a remote IP community at the foot of Mt. Apo, the country’s highest peak, was a heavily affected area during the 2019 strong quake that shook the province. (PNA)