NextGen Day

In light of the rising number of Filipino Muslims around the nation, deputy minority leader Mujiv Hataman encouraged the development of prayer spaces in public and private establishments on Thursday.

Hataman introduced House Bill (HB) No. 7117, which requires the installation of Muslim prayer rooms in public buildings such as malls, industries, and hospitals as well as military camps, hospitals, and healthcare facilities.

Malaki ang populasyon ng mga Muslim, hindi lang sa Mindanao, at least not throughout the whole of the Philippines. There is a sizable Muslim community not just in Mindanao but throughout the entire country of the Philippines. Limang beses kami magdasal sa isang araw, and kadalasan difficulty ang paghahanap ng lugar para dito. It can be difficult to find a spot for our five daily prayers),” he remarked.

The Muslim population, whose estimates vary from 6 million to as many as 12 million depending on the source of statistics, is a sizable and important portion of the Filipino population, according to Hataman, the Basilan lone district solon.

“Ang pagdarasal is heavy on every religion. Abutan man kami abutan sa aming mga Muslim, ginagawa namin ito limang beses sa isang araw. Prayer is significant to all religions, and there should be a place where Muslims can offer their prayers. No matter where we are, we Muslims perform it five times every day. Therefore, having a suitable location for our Muslim brothers to pray is crucial,” said Hataman, a former governor of the now-defunct ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao).

According to HB 7117, prayer rooms must be set up at sites that are specifically listed as hospitals, military bases, shopping centers, workplaces, and public buildings. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, the law’s implementing body, should decide whether more prayer spaces are needed as that information becomes available (NCMF).

As a largely Catholic nation, many businesses and structures—whether owned by the government, privately, or for the benefit of the general public—have chapels or prayer rooms that serve the needs of Catholic believers. There are always spaces set aside for their worship in hospitals, office buildings, and even shopping malls, the bill stated.

“The Muslim community in the Philippines…makes up a sizable and important portion of our population. Therefore, it is essential that prayer rooms be made available to them in public spaces such as government buildings and private businesses in order to allow them to practice their religion freely, it continued.

Hataman claimed that prayer rooms are already present in various businesses and shopping centers around the nation.

But not everyone is a mayroon. Imbes na limitahan natin ang mga lugar na maaaring puntahan ng ating kapatid na Muslim, gawin nating mas accessible ang pagdarasal bilang bahagi ng kalayaan sa pagpapahayag ng aming pananampalataya. As part of our freedom of expression and religion, let’s make praying more accessible rather than restricting the locations that our Muslim brothers and sisters can visit, Hataman remarked.

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