Bill seeks to declare oldest RP mosque as nat'l shrine

MANILA, Philippines - The first and oldest existing mosque in the Philippines may soon be declared a national shrine after a House panel passed a bill seeking to grant such recognition.

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A statement posted on the House of Representatives website on Monday said the Appropriations committee has approved House Bill 99 seeking to declare Sheikh Karimul Makhdum mosque in Tawi-Tawi as a national shrine.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara who filed the bill said the measure aims to give due recognition to Islam's role in the development of culture and civilization in the country.

"This bill would also be a sign to our brother Moslems in Mindanao that they are being accorded due and equal recognition by the national government," Angara said.

Muslim Affairs committee chair and Lanao del Sur Rep. Pangalian Balindong, Tawi-Tawi Rep. Nur Jaafar, and various government agencies have expressed support for the bill, he added.

The Sheikh Karimul Makhdum mosque, which was constructed by an Arab missionary in the 1380s, is located at the Tubig Indangan, Simunul, Tawi-Tawi.

In 1965, then President Ferdinand Marcos and First Lady Imelda Marcos went to the site to install a historic marker recognizing the mosque as the oldest in the country. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV