DBM chief dreams of a ‘thriving’ BARMM
BANGSAMORO NEWS UPDATES • 19:30 PM Mon Nov 7, 2022
607
By:
Azer Parrocha
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)
MANILA – Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Monday said she is hoping to see a “thriving” Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
She made this remark as the country celebrates Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Day.
“The Department of Budget and Management joins the Muslim community in celebrating Sheikh Karimul Makhdum, a special public holiday of the @BangsamoroGovt commemorating the establishment of Islam in the country,” the DBM said on its official Twitter account.
“Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman extends her heartfelt greetings as she shares the dream of seeing a BARMM that is thriving and a Mindanao that shines as the land of promise,” it added.
Pangandaman is the only Muslim in the Marcos Cabinet.
She said the Muslim holiday is a timely reminder to deepen their faith and thank Allah for his blessings and protection.
“As a proud Maranao and a daughter of Mindanao, who wears her identity with pride and honor, I enjoin my fellow Muslims in honoring the great influence and achievement of Sheikh Karimul Makhdum for introducing Islam to the Philippines,” she said in a separate statement.
She also called on Filipino Muslims to exemplify where their faith is rooted.
“Let us continue to draw more people to Islam's message of peace. Let us all come together as partners in promoting peace and demonstrating goodwill, harmony, and mutual respect among Filipinos from all walks of life,” she added.
In a separate tweet, the Bangsamoro government also expressed hope that Filipino Muslims would continue to live out the message brought by Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Day which is founded on peace, love, and compassion.
“This Special Public Holiday pays tribute to the coming of Sheikh Karimul Makhdum to the shores of Mindanao and introducing Islam to its inhabitants,” the Bangsamoro government said.
Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Day is observed annually on Nov. 7 in the town of Simunul in Tawi-Tawi to showcase how people treasure the advent and practice of Islam in the Philippines.
It seeks to commemorate the arrival and establishment of Islam in the country when a group of Arabian missionaries, led by Sheikh Karimul Makhdum, docked on the island of Simunul, building the first-ever mosque in the country, and propagated Islam throughout the southern Philippines, according to the Tawi-Tawi provincial government.
Nov. 7 was declared as Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Day by virtue of Muslim Mindanao Act No. 17 of 1991 and Executive Order No. 40 dated Nov. 4, 1991. (PNA)