NCMF urges sheiks to seek accreditation earlier for 2020 Hajj

By MASIDING NOOR YAHYA

November 8, 2019

Samaon Sami M. Buat, division chief of NCMF Davao regional office cultural affairs office. (MNY)

DAVAO CITY: The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) has enjoined all accredited sheiks in the country who want to participate in next year Hajj (Pilgrimage) to Saudi Arabia to apply or re-apply for accreditation with the commission earlier. It also asked intending pilgrims for 2020 to secure their passports earlier this month.

In an interview on Friday, Samaon Sami M. Buat, head of the Cultural Affairs Division of NCMF Davao regional office here told The Manila Times that Secretary Saidamen B. Pangarungan has recently issued a Memorandum asking the sheiks to submit their application for accreditation not later than December 15, 2019.

An accredited sheik (a guide or leader) is the one guiding certain numbers of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia under his group in the performance of the rituals of Hajj under the supervision of NCMF.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam — the others are Declaration that Allah is the only One God and that Muhammad is His Messenger, the performance of the five daily ritual prayers, the giving of Zaqah (obligatory charity), and fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Buat said the application for accreditation shall be filed with the Office of the NCMF Secretary through its regional directors concerned. “Pursuant to Section 11(e) of R.A. 9997, only the NCMF-Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment (NCMF-BPE) shall accredit qualified and deserving sheiks,” he added.

He said Secretary Pangarungan asked all NCMF regional directors to call for a meeting at the soonest possible with the sheiks in their respective areas of jurisdiction for the purpose and to advise as well all intending pilgrims without passports yet to secure their passports at the earliest possible time within this month (November)

RSP