Over 5,000 Filipino Muslims flew to Mecca for Hajj 2024 - NCMF

About 5,060 Filipino Muslims flew to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) said Friday.

“Nasa magandang kamay ang ating mga pilgrims na umabot sa 5,060 pilgrims po this year. Maayos na nakalipad ang lahat, ang pilgrims ay galing Pilipinas papuntang Saudi Arabia,” said NCMF executive assistant Raffie Usman in a public briefing.

(Our 5,060 pilgrims are in good hands. They were able to fly safely from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia.)

The hajj, which will run from June 14 to 19, is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be practiced by able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime as part of their religious duties.

It involves walking in a circle around the Kaaba, the sacred building at the center of Mecca's Grand Mosque.

Through the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Filipino pilgrims were sent off to Saudi Arabia from May 27 to June 1.

The NCMF added that the Bureau of Immigration has provided a special lane for pilgrims in airports.

Hajj participants were provided QR codes in their IDs to easily identify those who are not part of the group, it said.

Filipino Muslims who participated in the pilgrimage this year would receive a P7,500 refund for their accommodation, according to the NCMF. 

“Before sila nakaalis ng Saudi, ire-refund natin ito sa kanila,” said Usman.

(Before they leave Saudi Arabia, we will issue a refund to them.)

The Muslim commission also said that Filipino pilgrims are now staying in one hotel in Mecca, unlike in previous years.

“Medyo mabilis at tsaka medyo magaan yung operations natin this year dahil iisa yung accommodation nila sa Makkah (Mecca),” said Usman.

(Our operations are a bit faster and lighter this year because the pilgrims are all staying in one accommodation in Makkah.)

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier declared June 17 a regular holiday in observance of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, which is one of the two major holidays in Islam. —VBL, GMA Integrated News