MANILA: Philippine authorities congratulated Saudi Arabia’s leaders on Saturday on the completion of Hajj season and expressed gratitude for the Kingdom’s efforts to facilitate the pilgrimage.
In the predominantly Catholic Philippines, Muslims constitute roughly five percent of the population of 110 million. Most live on the island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago in the country’s south, as well as in the central-western province of Palawan and the capital, Manila.
This year, nearly 7,500 of them performed the Hajj — the pilgrimage that is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
As Hajj came to a close on Friday, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos — the body governing Muslim affairs in the Philippines — extended its “heartfelt gratitude and congratulations” to Saudi authorities.
NCMF spokesperson Yusoph Mando, on behalf of the commission’s head, Guiling A. Mamondiong, thanked the Saudi king and government “for their exceptional dedication in accommodating pilgrims and ensuring their well-being, convenience and security” during Hajj, which this year drew around 2 million people from all over the world to Islam’s holiest sites, Makkah and Madinah.
“Drawing attention to the commendable endeavors undertaken by King Salman and his administration, Commissioner Mando praises the ongoing expansion projects of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the introduction of innovative services, and the utilization of advanced technology to cater to the diverse needs of pilgrims,” the NCMF said in a statement to Arab News.
“In addition to extolling the Saudi Arabian authorities, (he) also extends his congratulations to all the Filipino pilgrims who have successfully completed their pilgrimage.”
This year was the first that Philippine authorities had put special measures in place to help Filipino Muslims departing for the Hajj. The measures included dedicated lanes in various airports across the country, which the Philippines Bureau of Immigration said were aimed at making the journey “as seamless as possible” to allow pilgrims to “focus on their spiritual endeavors without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.”
