Bea Jane Serna

The House House Committee on Muslim affairs, chaired by Lanao Lanao del Norte 1st District Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo has adopted a substitute bill on January 17 that combines two previous proposals to create Muslim cemeteries for areas with greater Muslim populations.


Photo courtesy of House of Representatives

The substitute bill was crafted by merging House Bills (HB) No. 2587 and 3755 on January 17. 

“We’ve drafted a substitute bill, merging the two versions regarding Muslim cemeteries — one version of Deputy Minority Leader Mujiv Hataman and another version authored by Reps. Yasser Balindong and Zia Adiong,” Dimaporo highlighted.

The substitute bill called for the establishment of Muslim cemeteries in areas with significant Muslim populations, while HB 3755, filed by Deputy Minority Leader Mujiv Hataman, proposed the creation of Muslim cemeteries in every major city and municipality.

The move is in response to issues encountered by Muslim families whose loved ones have passed away in areas where cemeteries are unable to accommodate Islam traditions.

To differentiate, Hataman’s HB No. 3755, which was filed a month after, calls for the creation of Muslim cemeteries in every major city and municipality in order for Muslims situated in various parts of the country to still be afforded certain traditions and rituals despite living far from usual burial sites.  

The committee agreed to discuss the proposals in a physical meeting, thus deferring the bill’s numbering. 


Edited by Khezyll Galvan