For the very first time in the history of the chamber, a prayer room for Muslim members, employees, and even guests of the House of Representatives has been designated and opened in time for the observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Conference Room 6 in the Ramon V. Mitra Building has been set aside and designated as a Muslim prayer room starting Tuesday and until the end of Ramadan next month.
The simple opening ceremonies was prepared by the House Committee on Muslim Affairs led by its chair Rep. Khalid Dimaporo and vice chair Rep. Bai Dimple Mastura.
Mastura, representative of Maguindanao and Cotabato City’s 1st District, personally made the request for the prayer room to the Speaker in the plenary on the sidelines of the approval on third reading of the P5.268-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2023 last September 28, 2022.
The Muslim prayer room initiative was facilitated by Speaker Martin Romualdez and his wife, Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre upon the request of lawmakers led by Mastura.
The opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies were attended by Acidre, Lanao del Sur First District Congressman Zia Alonto Adiong, Members of the Committee on Muslim affairs and imams from the National Commission for Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), along with other guests such as Bai Hasmin Ebrahim, the regional chairperson of Tingog Party-list in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Muslims pray five times every day, even while fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Photo courtesy of Cong Zia
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