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- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech & Digital News
(SDN) — It’s the time of year when all roads lead to the National Qur’an Reading Competition (NQRC), now on its 49th iteration.
The annual Islamic event will he held and hosted by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) on Wednesday, April 18, at the Bahay ng Alumni, University of the Philippines (UP) Campus, Magsaysay Street, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila.
NCMF Secretary Sabuddin N. Abdurahim cited the theme of the 49th NQRC.
“With the theme today, ‘Qur’an: Healing the wounds through a United Ummah’, I am praying to Allah subhanna wa taala that may our prayer for the healing of this Ummah through unity may be accepted similarly to how united we are today for the sake of His remembrance through Qur’an reading,” he emphasizes.
Abdurahim noted that the Ummah (the global Muslim community) is facing a gauntlet of difficulties.
“And as the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, explained the connection between Muslims with beautiful analogy, he said, ‘Muslims are like one body of a person; if the eye is sore, the whole body aches, and if the head aches, the whole body aches,'” Abdurahim of Tawi-Tawi points out.
The 2023 NQRC male and female champions Saidi Saiduna, General Santos City, SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII), and Sabaha P. Salik will defend their titles against 34 other contestants representing the country’s regions.
Saiduna will defend his crown for the second time, being also the NQRC champion in 2022. Salik, on the other hand, took the third place honors in the 2023 International Al-Qur’an Recital Assembly (IQRA) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Then Qur’anic contest is a mainstay program of the NCMF, and is being handled by the Bureau of Muslim Cultural Affairs (BMCA) headed by Acting Director Michael Mito-on J. Ali.
The BCMA’s Cultural Section led by Acting Chief Sawia N. Punut relayed the event’s particulars to SDN — SciTech & Digital News.
Republic Act No. 9997 mandated the NCMF to promote, preserve, and enhance the cultural heritage of Muslims in the Philippines.
Winners of the annual NQRC get the honors of representing the Philippines in various international competitions that may include those in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, among others.
As representatives of the Philippines, the 2024 champions will unofficially be ambassadors of goodwill as they meet and connect with other countries’ participants in foreign competitions.
Below is the Official List of Delegations and NQRC participants:
49th NQRC Delegates and Contestants
The Commission has some main programs to comply with and implement its mandate, among them, coordination of the yearly Hajj, the Pilgrimage to Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, conduct of the Shar’iah training, participation in international Qur’an reading competitions, as well as other educational and cultural activities relevant to Muslim Filipinos. (♤)