MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine and Indonesian governments are planning to offer scholarships for Muslim Filipinos at an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) said.
The Madrasah scholarships, including a cost-of-living allowance, will allow Muslim Filipinos to study in Indonesia’s Pondok Pesantren Darullughah Wadda’wah.
In a statement on Sunday evening, February 16, NCMF Secretary Sabuddin Abdurahim said an eight-member NCMF delegation “reached out to the Indonesian government for significant partnerships that will directly benefit Muslim Filipinos, especially the youth, through scholarships in Indonesia.”
Abdurahim said the NCMF delegates’ mission to Jakarta this month “has been fruitful.” He announced that Indonesia’s religious affairs ministry, through its directorate general of Islamic education, expressed “its interest to open Madrasah scholarships for Muslim Filipinos in Pondok Pesantren Darullughah Wadda’wah that already includes a cost of living allowance.”
The NCMF said it would arrange a memorandum of understanding and eventually publish details regarding the application process and the qualifications for scholars.
The NCMF said the Philippines and Indonesia are also exploring partnerships in organizing the Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and certifying halal products.
The Philippine Embassy in Jakarta, particularly Chargé d’Affaires Gonaranao Musor, arranged the series of meetings between Filipino and Indonesian officials in the second week of February, according to the NCMF.
The Philippines and Indonesia are two of the world’s most deeply religious countries, although with different majority religions. The Philippines is 85% Christian, while Indonesia is 87% Muslim.
The 6.98 million Muslims in the Philippines, making up 6.4% of the population, often benefit from the assistance extended by Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country. – Rappler.com