BARMM residents, other Muslim communities begin Ramadan fasting season

COTABATO CITY — Residents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and other southern cities and provinces started their month-long Ramadan fasting season at dawn on Thursday.

Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during the Ramadan, which is a holy month in Islam, and focus on reparations for wrongdoings and reconciliation with adversaries as a religious obligation.

Fasting during the Ramadan is one of the five fundamentals of the Islamic faith, which include absolute belief in Allah, praying five times a day facing west, giving of alms to the poor and, for those who can afford the cost of travel, a pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia, seat of the Islamic faith, even just once in a lifetime.

Two non-Muslim local executives, Governor Emmylou T. Mendoza of Cotabato and her counterpart in South Cotabato, Reynaldo S. Tamayo, Jr. separately told reporters on Thursday that they will expand their humanitarian programs for their Muslim constituents during the Ramadan as interfaith peacebuilding thrusts in support of the national government’s peace overture with southern Moro communities.

Mr. Tamayo, now in his third term as South Cotabato governor and is presiding chairperson of the multi-sector Regional Peace and Order Council 12, said he has requested the Police Regional Office 12 and the Army’s 6th Infantry Division to secure worship sites, where Muslims perform extensive worship rites during the Ramadan, which lasts between 28 to 30 days based on the lunar Hijrah calendar.

Three Muslim members of BARMM’s 80-seat parliament, John Anthony “Jet” L. Lim, Naguib G. Sinarimbo and Kadil M. Sinolinding, Jr. started their separate Ramadan humanitarian activities for Muslim constituents last Monday, all supported by their chief minister, Abdulraof A. Macacua.

Mr. Macacua issued on Wednesday a memorandum for all ministries and support agencies under the BARMM government directing fasting employees and their officials to work straight from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday so that they can leave their offices early and have enough time to prepare for their iftar, or first meal after a day-long fast.

Mr. Sinolinding, who is overseeing the Ministry of Health-BARMM, said all of their emergency response operations will continue as usual during the Ramadan season.

“We have organized teams of mixed Muslim and non-Muslim emergency responders to work together during the Ramadan,” Mr. Sinolinding said.

Bangsamoro Labor and Employment Minister Muslimin G. Sema, who is chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), said members of the MNLF in all provinces and cities in BARMM will support the Ramadan security missions of the police and the military.

“Ramadan is a holy month in Islam. The Moro National Liberation Front shall help the police and military and local government units make it peaceful,” Mr. Sema said.

Lt. Gen. Donald M. Gumiran, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, said they appreciate the commitments of the MNLF, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the provincial officials in Cotabato and South Cotabato provinces, and BARMM’s top official, Mr. Macacua, to cooperate in maintaining law and order in predominantly Muslim communities for the whole duration of the Ramadan.

“Our units in the Bangsamoro region, in Region 9 and in Region 12 shall also embark on community projects for Muslim communities during the month-long fasting season,” Mr. Gumiran said. — John Felix M. Unson