NCMF: December 19 a holiday in parts of Mindanao due to Shariff Kabunsuan Day
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 15 December) – December 19, Friday, will be a non-working holiday in several parts of Mindanao with significant Muslim populations in observance of the Shariff Kabunsuan Day, an official of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) said.
Atty. Gapor Quituar, NCMF-Region 12 acting director, cited Batas Pampook Blg. 14 or the “Act Proclaiming December 19 of Every Year as Shariff Kabunsuan Day” as basis for the non-working holiday declaration this year.
Shariff Kabunsuan is highly regarded for propagating Islam in the country.
“In order to foster and perpetuate the image of the man who brought about Islam religion in the Philippines; in recognition of his achievement in unifying the different tribal groups in Mindanao that they be under One God, Allah, thereby establishing a common identity among themselves; and to manifest the results of determination of the People of Southern Philippines (sic) to continue to honor and personify the virtue of this man, December 19 of every year is hereby proclaimed as Shariff kabunsuan Day and declared legal holiday in Region 12,” the circular stated.
The Act was approved on September 24, 1981 by then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
The areas of coverage of the then Region 12 included Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.
The cities included by the Act were Cotabato, Tacurong, Kidapawan, Iligan and Marawi.
Quituar noted that the NCMF, formerly known as the Office of Muslim Affairs, considered the Act still effective “with force and effect of the law and thereby binding, unless a clear order, issuance or resolutions from competent authority that expressly declares the said Act repealed or void.”
The areas under the Act had since been reconfigured with Maguindanao (now divided into Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte) and Lanao del Sur now part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Cotabato and Marawi now belong to BARMM.
Last year, BARMM declared December 19 a special working holiday in observance of Shariff Kabunsuan Day. The other provinces in the BARMM are Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.
Lanao del Norte and Iligan City are now part of Northern Mindanao or Region 10.
Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato are still with Region 12, along with South Cotabato and Sarangani, and the cities of Tacurong and Kidapawan, as well as General Santos and Koronadal.
MindaNews contacted NCMF-12 through its telephone number and Facebook page for further clarification, but to no avail as of 10 a.m. on Monday. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
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