MANILA – The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) is forging stronger collaborations with Indonesia to enhance opportunities for Muslim Filipinos, particularly in education, religious affairs, and the Halal industry.

During a recent mission to Jakarta, NCMF Secretary Sabuddin Abdurahim said Indonesian government agencies expressed keen interest in establishing Madrasah scholarships for Filipino Muslim students. The General of Islamic Education at Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs is set to offer scholarships at Pondok Pesantren Darullughah Wadda’Wah, covering both tuition and living expenses. The NCMF is preparing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formalize this agreement.

Beyond Madrasah scholarships, the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) is encouraging Filipino Muslim students to apply for Master’s and Doctoral programs at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, which specializes in Islamic studies and global Muslim affairs.

Hajj Coordination and Best Practices

The NCMF also met with Indonesia’s Hajj Organizing Agency (BP Haji) to explore cooperation in managing the annual pilgrimage to Makkah. Discussions focused on sharing best practices to improve efficiency and service quality for Filipino pilgrims. BP Haji chief Mochammad Irfan Yusuf emphasized Indonesia’s commitment to the Tri Sukses Hajj principles—ritual success, economic benefits for pilgrims, and upholding Islamic values in Hajj implementation.

Strengthening Halal Standards

Another key area of collaboration is Halal certification. The NCMF and Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) are working on an MOU, expected to be finalized by April 2025, to standardize and regulate Halal-certified products, from food and beverages to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The BPJPH has encouraged the NCMF to adopt a unified Halal logo across all Halal-certifying bodies (HCBs) in the Philippines, which currently number 12.

Expanding Cooperation

Other discussions included training programs for NCMF’s Endowment Division to strengthen waqf (Islamic endowment) management and information exchanges with Indonesia’s Directorate General of Corrections to improve the treatment of Muslim detainees based on Islamic principles. The NCMF also engaged with Indonesia’s national arbitration center, exploring partnerships for dispute resolution and mediation services.

“The Commission is grateful to Chargé d’Affaires Gonaranao Musor for facilitating these discussions, which will bring significant benefits to Muslim Filipinos,” Abdurahim said.

These partnerships mark a step forward in regional cooperation, strengthening educational and economic opportunities for the Muslim community in the Philippines.

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