|
|
Guinomla
said eight Saudi Arabian Airlines flights will ferry the Filipino
pilgrims to the holy sites.
|
ILOILO
CITY, Philippines, January 3 (IslamOnline.net) – A total of 2,600
Filipinos have registered with the Office of Muslim Affairs to perform
hajj this year.
Among
those leaving for Saudi Arabia is Abdul Ismael, 65, who has just
retired as a government employee.
“I
have looked forward to this pilgrimage. I set aside the amount from my
retirement pay and paid the registration fee,” he told
IslamOnline.net.
The
spiritual journey is costing Ismael 1,900 US dollars, a little less
than the 20,000 dollars retirement package he was paid by the
government.
“Just
like all Muslims, it is my wish to be able to perform this pilgrimage.
That is why I stuck it out with the government despite the low pay
because I know that when I retire I would be able to have enough money
to go on this pilgrimage.”
The
Office of Muslim Affairs last week told IOL correspondent that the
majority of would-be pilgrims are over 50.
Some
of them are wealthy but the majority belongs to the average income
group of Filipinos like government employees and businessmen.
Others
have children who are earning well and are the ones footing the
pilgrimage bill.
Despite
the economic crisis gripping this largely Christian nation, the number
of pilgrims this year has increased by 15 percent or so, according to
the Office of Muslims Affairs.
The
hajj is one
of the “five pillars” of Islam, and thus an
essential part of Muslims’ faith and practice under the condition of
physical and financial ability.
It
consists of several
ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential concepts
of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham
and his family.
Scheduled
Flights
Philippine
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Bahnarim Guinomla said last week that a
total of eight flights of Saudi Arabian Airlines will ferry the
Filipinos intending to make the spiritual journey to the holy sites.
He
recalled that the first group of Filipino pilgrims left the country en
route to Saudi Arabia on December 22.
The
diplomat said that based on information from the Office on Muslim
Affairs (OMA) all the flights except one will be landing at the
Madinah International Airport.
The
last flight, Saudi Arabian Airlines flight No. SV 865, which will
depart Manila on January 13, will land at the King Abdulaziz
International Airport at Jeddah.
“Landing
the intending pilgrims in the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport in
Madinah will be convenient for them as it will save them the land
travel from either Jeddah or Mecca for the visit to the Prophet’s
mosque,” Guinomla said.
Saudi
Arabia has chosen the Philippines as a pilot country for its drive for
a safe, acceptable, and comfortable pilgrimage through its Hajj
Awareness Program (HAP).
You
may also read:
|
