THE National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) is collaborating with various Indonesian government agencies for bilateral cooperations including a Madrasah scholarship opportunity covering the cost-of-living allowance in Pondok Pesantren Darullughah Wadda'Wah, an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia.
“In the spirit of ‘One ASEAN Community’, the NCMF, through its delegates, reached out to the Indonesian government for significant partnerships that will directly benefit Muslim Filipinos, especially the youth through scholarships in Indonesia,” said NCMF Secretary Sabuddin N. Abdurahim.
“The NCMF delegates’ mission to Jakarta has been fruitful as I am pleased to share that Directorate General of Islamic Education of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Indonesia informed its interest to open Madrasah scholarships for Muslim Filipinos in Pondok Pesantren Darullughah Wadda'Wah that already includes cost of living allowance,” he said Saturday after the eight-member delegates’ series of meetings in Jakarta in the second week of February 2025.
Secretary Abdurahim said that the Commission, through its Bureau of Muslim Cultural Affairs (BMCA), is arranging a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the scholarship and will soon announce the application process and period as well as qualifications.
He said that aside from the Madrasah scholarship, the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan [LPDP]) urges Muslim Filipinos to apply for Master of Arts (MA) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) study in Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), a newly established graduate institution that offers various academic programs focusing on the study of Islam and the Muslim world and has various research centers. For the Academic Year 2025-2026, UIII admission is open up to March 31, 2025 with merit-based selection.
Hajj cooperation
Secretary Abdurahim said that NCMF and Indonesia’s Hajj Organizing Agency (Badan Penyelenggara Haji [BP Haji]) explored cooperation in organizing the annual Hajj (pilgrimage in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), including sharing best practices between countries.
The Head of BP Haji, Mochammad Irfan Yusuf, welcomed this initiative, emphasizing that the implementation of the Hajj in Indonesia adheres to the vision of Tri Sukses Hajj, namely Ritual Success in the smooth running of worship, Economic Success by maximizing benefits for pilgrims and the community, and Civilization Success in realizing the values of civilization in the Hajj.
According to the BP Haji, the Muslim population in Indonesia reached 87.2% of the total population in 2024, and every year, the number of Hajj pilgrims continues to increase. The BP Haji is thus welcoming innovation and strategic cooperation with the NCMF, through its Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment (BPE), to improve the efficiency and quality of Hajj services.
"The greatest aspiration of Muslims is to perform the Hajj. The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Prabowo Subianto, has paid great attention to the organization of the Hajj and asked us at BP Haji to provide the best service to Indonesian Hajj pilgrims," said the Head of BP Haji.
Halal accreditation
Secretary Abdurahim said that the NCMF and Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (Badan Pengelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal [BPJPH]) are developing an MOU targeted to be finalized in March or April 2025 to cooperate in the field of Halal certification of products and regulating and monitoring the Halal standards of food, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other products even including shoes and clothes.
The BPJPH urged NCMF to use one Halal logo to be used by the Halal-certifying bodies (HCBs) it accredited. According to the NCMF Bureau of Muslim Economic Affairs (BMEA), the Commission has accredited 12 HCBs as of December 2024.
The NCMF is the Vice-Chair of the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board created under Republic Act No. 10817. The Board is chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry.
Other PH-ID coordination
The NCMF and LPDP are also in talks of conducting a capacity development for the Commission’s Endowment Division to help bolster its waqf (Islamic endowment) administration services.
Further, the Commission’s Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA) and Indonesia’s Directorate General of Corrections of the Ministry of Corrections and Immigration agreed to continue information exchange on best practices in managing Muslim Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in accordance with Islamic principles and global standards.
Aside from Indonesian government agencies, NCMF discussed with Badan Arbitrase Nasional Indonesia (BANI Arbitration Center), a private institution, on how NCMF Bureau of Peace and Conflict Resolution (BPCR) may partner with relevant Indonesian government agencies on arbitration, mediation, and other form of dispute resolutions.
Secretary Abdurahim said that the series of productive meetings in Jakarta was arranged by the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta. “The Commission is grateful to Chargé d'Affaires Gonaranao B. Musor for arranging the meetings for the benefit of Muslim Filipinos.” PR
