Manila: Action actor Robin Padilla, known as "bad boy" in the movie industry, has opened a school for young Filipino Muslims in suburban Quezon City, a local paper said.

"Lack of education makes young Muslims go astray, that is the root of the insurgency problem in Mindanao," Padilla told the Inquirer.

"When Muslim families get into trouble in Mindanao, they hide in Manila, where they also meet devious characters that teach them to sell drugs and arms," explained Padilla, adding his school is a new place for young Muslims to experience what change is all about.

The school, called Light of Peace, was built earlier this year on a 1,100 square metre lot near his home in suburban Fairview.

It can accommodate 30 children at preparatory level. The students, whose families live in depressed areas near Fairview, will be given scholarships, books, uniforms, and a school bus service. The school also has state-of-the-art computer and audio-visual rooms.

"We are not far behind from the best schools in town," Padilla said.

His school will teach Islamic values and the Arabic language, together with subjects such as English, Maths, Science and Filipino.

It will follow the government-approved Madrassah curriculum, which is already offered at several public schools.

Directive

Padilla said he was happy that the department of education had passed a directive allowing students who have attended Islamic religious school to enrol in college and universities.

"It used to be that students of Madrassah were denied entry to exclusive colleges and universities," said Padilla.

He also hired five teachers whom he sent for training to an international Islamic school in Turkey.

"The administrators of the Fountain International School in Turkey offered to train our teachers for free, after they heard about our plan," said Padilla who will go to Istanbul on June 15 to meet with the president of the Turkish school.

"The school in Turkey offered to give continuing training to our teachers to prepare them for the expansion of our school," said Padilla, adding his plan is to offer elementary and high school education for young Muslims in depressed areas in Quezon City.

The school can now accommodate 120 to 130 children, but it will start with 30 students.

His other plan is to build an education-playground worth one million pesos (Dh79,623), with the help of international educators and financiers.