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MANILA, May 1, 2026 (SDN) — It’s the sizzling hot month of May and this year is also the Hajj season for Muslims across the world.
In keeping with that tradition of religiosity, more that 900 pilgrims are flying today, Friday, to Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, their route to Islam’s holiest city, Mecca (or Makkah).
Information gathered by SDN Online from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) headed by Secretary Sabuddin N. Abdurahim shows three flights are scheduled to depart today, the first batches of Filipinos registered with NCMF to perform the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam which is obligatory to adult Muslims with financial and physical capability.
Ambassador Faisal Ebraheem Al-Ghamdi, the top envoy to the Philippines of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Abdurahim are expected at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal I to formally send-off the pilgrims.
In today’s send-off program, Al-Ghamdi relayed the greetings of King Salman, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and his Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
The Saudi diplomat told the pilgrims before their flight they are traveling to the Kingdom “not merely as visitors, but as cherished guests held dear to our hearts. You are the Guests of the Most Merciful.”
At the same time, he reminded the pilgrims to “ever be mindful of the sacredness of the place and the significance of the time, and to serve as exemplary ambassadors of your country in those sacred lands — upholding the values of tolerance and patience this ritual requires.”
The Saudi envoy sent off the Mecca pilgrims with a prayer to “Allah Almighty to accept your righteous deeds, and to return to your families and loved ones in the Philippines, with a Hajj that is accepted, efforts appreciated, and sins forgiven.”
Abdurahim echoed the same message as he wished the departing Mecca pilgrims a safe and comfortable journey and that their pilgrimage be accepted, and their sins be forgiven by Allah Subhanna Wa’Taala.
Saudia Country Manager Ateyah A. Al-Jehany for Philippines & Offline Service Networks, whose airlines carry the bulk of the 5,300 Filipino pilgrims, joined the send-off program as he also wished the Mecca travelers “to also pray for their us.
Al-Jehany said Saudia represents only a small part of the journey of pilgrims, mentioning the roles of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia and the NCMF.
Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment (NCMF-BPE) Director Zainoden M. Usudan said the send-off ceremony “highlighted the government’s commitment to ensuring a safe organized, and meaningful pilgrimage for all participants.”
He also noted the significance of the Saudi ambassador’s presence at the event, saying it reaffirms the Philippines and Saudi Arabia’s strong partnership as they both serve the needs of the Mecca pilgrims.
The BPE head also reminded the excited yet happy travelers that “Hajj is not only a religious obligation but a transformative spiritual journey that calls for discipline, humility, and unity” and they are also “encouraged to pray for peace, progress, and solidarity of the nation.”
Chief Benjamin Abuat of the NCMF-BPE told SDN Online the first of the three flights has 300 pilgrims on board Philippine Airlines (PAL) PR8656 set to depart at 11:55 a.m.
The next two flights, he said, are on Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA, SV) aboard SV861, leaves at 3:40 p.m, with 337 pilgrims, and SV871, flies at 11:30 p.m., with 292 pilgrims. All in all, the first three batches have 932 pilgrims.
Hajj is obligatory to adult Muslims with financial and physical capability
Earlier, the NCMF secretary and CEO said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had allocated to the Philippines 5,000 plus 300 pilgrims’ slots upon request and have already been filled up.
The BPE is the NCMF bureau handling and managing the annual Hajj operation, which the bureau inherited from the defunct Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA).
The five-day Mecca pilgrimage participated by millions of Islam believers from around the world is projected to begin on May 24 or 25, depending on the sighting of the new crescent moon for Dhul-Hijjah, the month of the Hajj. In the Islamic Hijri calendar that’s based on moon cycle, the pilgrimage happens every year from the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah.
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, with the other four such as Shahaddah (Profession of Faith), Salat (5 Daily Prayers), Sawm (Ramadan Fasting, and Zakat ((Obligatory Charity).
As of this moment, at 12:12 p.m., NCMF Protocol Officer Ismael Buenavides said the first of today’s three flights on board PR8656 with 300 pilgrims had already left en route to Madinah.
He said the second flight on Saudia leaves at 3:40 p.m. after a brief send-off program. The third also on Saudia is set to fly at 11:30 p.m. — EDD K. USMAN (✓)
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Note: For more information, this story has been updated with new quotes and pictures to reflect the importance of the occasion.
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The author
EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, Manila Business Insights, Panorama Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, and others, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (®)