FOUR hundred and fifty-one former combatants are set to benefit in the Bangsamoro Government’s Manasikul Hajj Program in May this year, with preparations underway through health and orientation support, an official said.
The Bangsamoro Pilgrimage Authority (BPA) leads the Manasikul Hajj Program to support constituents—including former combatants—by providing subsidized or free Hajj pilgrimages to Mecca.
Dr. Norodin Salam, BPA deputy executive director, said the beneficiaries of the program received vaccination support from Monday, April 13, to Wednesday, April 15, at the Shariff Kabunsian Cultural Complex, Cotabato City, as part of the preparations.
Salam said the initiative was undertaken through a Regional Mobile Vaccination rollout led by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF)–Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, and the Cotabato City Health Office.
Salam underscored that vaccination is part of a pilgrim’s spiritual intention, emphasizing that it serves both religious and health purposes.
The vaccination drive forms part of a broader effort to inoculate 1,091 pilgrims from Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), ensuring compliance with health requirements set by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Dr. Tamara Mae Ansama, Medical Officer of the NCMF–Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment, said the 451 Bangsamoro former combatant pilgrims represent about nine percent of the total number of Filipino pilgrims for Hajj 2026, scheduled from 8 to 12 Dhul-Hijjah, or approximately May 25 to 29, subject to moon sighting.
“One of the major challenges in implementing this program is the digital issuance of the International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV), as required by the Bureau of Quarantine,” Ansama said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Mabandas Kabagani Macacua, 63, a resident of Malangas, Zamboanga Sibugay, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to perform Hajj, noting that he would not have been able to afford the journey on his own.
The NCMF conducted a Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar and coordinated with partner agencies, including the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Ministry of Health in support to the pilgrims.
The three agencies also provided travel and post-vaccination kits to help ensure the pilgrims’ preparedness and well-being throughout their journey. (SunStar Zamboanga)