DEPUTY Minority Leader and Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman has filed a bill seeking to strip the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) of any involvement in the administration of the Hajj or the yearly pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In House Bill No. 9096, the former regional governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) lamented the hardships that the Muslim faithful were subjected to due to the incompetence of the NCMF in handling preparations for the event.
“Taon-taon na lang, daan-daan kung hindi man libo-libong Pilipinong Muslim ang laman ng balita na stranded o dumadaan sa matinding paghihirap sa kanilang pagganap ng hajj dulot ng hindi maayos na serbisyo ng NCMF (Every year, hundreds, if not thousands, of Filipino Muslims are left stranded or suffers during hajj because of the bad NCMF services),” the lawmaker said.
He proposed that the management of the preparations be entrusted to the private sector instead.
“Ang taunang pilgrimage sa Holy City of Makkah sa Saudi Arabia ay isa sa mga sagradong haligi ng pananampalatayang Islam. Pinag-iipunan ‘yan ng ating mga kababayang Muslim kasi napakapalad nila pag nagawa nila yan nang minsan sa kanilang buhay (The annual pilgrimage to the Holy City of Makkah in Saudi Arabia is sacred to the Islam faith Muslims save money because it is a privilege for them to experience this in their lifetime). But instead of a meaningful experience, they face hardships and difficulties,” Hataman said.
This year and the year before, he noted numerous reports of Muslim Filipinos left without outbound flights to Saudi Arabia as well as back to the Philippines.
There were also complaints of invalid accommodations or meals and no access to assistance from the NCMF.
House Bill No. 9096, entitled “The NCMF Reform Act of 2023” seeks to amend Republic Act No. 9997 and remove the administration of the hajj from the NCMF and allow the private sector to handle the hajj services for Filipino Muslim pilgrims.
Section 2 of the measure states that the NCMF’s participation would be limited to registration and accreditation of sheiks who are private individuals or entities engaged in facilitating, processing, and providing guidance for the annual Hajj.
The bill also redefines the powers of the Hajj attaché to coordinate with the Ministry of Hajj of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where government-to-government action is necessary including certification as to change of pilgrim’s name. However, it will no longer have any authority to intervene in the administration, conduct, facilitation, or processing of hajj for Muslim Filipinos.
“The recent issues surrounding the plight of Filipino Muslim pilgrims during the 2023 Hajj in Saudi Arabia brought to light, yet again, the years of poor treatment of Filipino pilgrims suffering from poor living conditions, delayed and substandard meals, and delayed transportation, among others,” the author said in the explanatory note.
Hataman noted that in some countries, especially where Muslims are a minority, the hajj administration is given solely to the private sector. But in countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan, it is split between the public and private sector.
