Sulu pilgrims blame NCMF for poor Hajj services

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Sulu Vice Governor Toto Tan said he would write a letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to tell him about the sad plight of Muslim-Filipinos during their recent Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Tan, who spoke about the poor condition of pilgrims on his Facebook page, blamed the poor services of the National Council on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) under Secretary Guiling ‘Gene’ Mamondiong.

The mounting complaints by pilgrims against NCMF have reached the Senate which is now eyeing an investigation after Senator Juan Edgardo Angara filed Senate Resolution Number 768 calling for an inquiry into the complaints as lawmakers are set to hear the proposed 2024 budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, which has jurisdiction over the NCMF which oversee the annual Hajj pursuant to Republic Act No. 9997 or the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Act of 2009.

Sulu Vice Gov. Toto Tan gestures as he speaks live on Facebook and airs the complaints of Filipino-Muslim pilgrims about the poor services of the National Council on Muslim Filipinos under Secretary Guiling ‘Gene’ Mamondiong.

Sulu Vice Gov. Toto Tan shows a breakfast food pack containing green peas and bread served at lunch time to the Filipino-Muslim pilgrims while lunch was served at dinner time.

National Council on Muslim Filipinos Secretary Guiling ‘Gene’ Mamondiong

Below is the text of Tan’s complaints against NCMF:

“Kawawa ang mga pilgrims, calling on Secretary Mr. Guiling “Gene” A. Mamondiong, congratulations at napakagaling mong secretary at sumobra yun galling mo at halos pinarusahan mo yu mga hujjaj (is the name given to those performing Hajj). Nawa’y patawarin ka ng Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sa inyong ginagawa, kasama na ang b uong team ng NCMF na nandidito ngayon dito sa hajj.

Heto yun binigay ninyong pagkain – almusal at sa aming pagkakaintindi an gaming almusal ay hindi dinner at hindi ko alam kung ang pagkakaintindi mo Secretary Gene Mamondiong kung ang almusal ay dinner.

Ang aming pagkakaintindi ang almusal ay breakfast, matalino ka pa man din Secretary ka – ito ay served ninyo almost lunch time na ngayon ang local time ay is already 5.19 p.m. at hindi pa kayo nagse-serve ng lunch. Kung nagsabi kayo na hindi ninyo ise-serve ng lunch ang more than 200 hujjaj na nandito sa tent na ito (namin) puwede naman naming gawan ng paraan at pwede naman kaming bumili ng cup noodles diyan sa labas kasi hindi naman kami naghahanap ng espesyal eh kaya lang pinapasa ng pinapaasa lang ninyo kami na kayong mga NCMF pero puro kapalpakan naman ang ginagawa ninyo wherein fact umalis kami doon sa hotel naming sa Mecca at saan ka makakita ng hotel na hindi na kami makagalaw doon sa loob hotel na yun at wala pang tubig.

Anong klaseng hotel yan na walang tubig, so anyway, heto yun almusal at tanghali na na-served at hato ang kanilang napakasarap na almusal – gulay at saka tinapay. Hindi naman tayo naghahanap ng espesyal pero ito na-served lunch time na at yun lunch ng mga hujjaj hindi pa nila sini-serve so sana sa susunod kung hindi nila ise-serve magsabi sila para magawa kami ng paraan. Uulitin ko, napakagaling mong Secretary Gene Mamondiong at sana dumami pa ang katulad mo at ng dumami pa ang mabugbog na hujjaj dito sa Mecca at sana dumami pa yun katulad mo.

Bigyan naman natin ng konting dignidad ang mga Muslim, bigyan natin ng konting pagpapahalaga, bigyan natin ng konting pagmamahal, saan naman napunta yun puso ninyong mga supervisory team, Secretary ng NCMF, hay naku sana hindi ka na-renew yan appointment mo Inshallah, isasama ka namin sa aming dasal dito na huwag ka nang ma-renew para hindi na dumami ang mabubugbog at mahihirapan na hujjaj dito dahil sa kagagawan mo.

Sana ang ating Mahal na Pangulo ay hindi ka na mabigyan ng pagkakataon na maging Secretary ulit ng NCMF para sa 2024 Hajj at sana hindi na ikaw kasi among the four secretaries Yasmin Lao, Secretary Mehol Sadain, Secretary (Saidamen Balt) Pangarungan, nasamahan ko lahat ang mga ito pero hindi naman tayo naghahanap ng espesyal pero at least yun magkaroon man lang ng konting improvement para sa kabutihan ng ating mga hujjaj.

Ito na nga ang pinakamahal na hajj na sinamahan ko at P350,000 ang bayad at yun last na sinamahan ko kay Secretary Pangarungan ay P280,000 lamang, pero ngayon P350,000 at napakamahal so ang ini-expect ko ay napakaswerte naman ng 2023 batch ng Hajj (pilgrims) dahil baka may konting liwanag at konting ginhawa at hindi naman kami naghahanap ng espesyal at super ginhawa dahil ang ipinunta naman naming dito ay imbitasyon ng Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala at i-perform ang Hajj at yun ang pakay namin at magsakripisyo ng konti at hindi kami naghahanap ng sarap dito, pero parang hindi naman makatao ang turing sa amin ng mga taong nagha-handle (ng Hajj) mga supervisory at ang dami-dami pero puro walang kwenta.”

There was no immediate reaction from the NCMF about the complaints of the pilgrims.

In his resolution, Angara said the Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment under NCMF sent over 7,000 pilgrims to Saudi last June to participate in the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Angara said he noted the complaints of the pilgrims, most notably Tan, and that they experienced subpar treatment from the BPE. This poor delivery of services include limited transport buses leading to overcrowding, safety risks, and exposure to extreme heat, densely packed and low-quality accommodations, limited cooling systems in tents despite the heat and insufficient and repetitive food, and the lack of prepared food for pilgrims on some days.

The pilgrims, according to Angara, further reported that the BPE officer-in-charge stayed in a lavish five-star hotel during said period, while the NCMF top officials and other NCMF staff were remiss in their duty to assist Filipino pilgrims as they themselves were pilgrims during the Hajj were unable to adequately respond to the concerns and issues of other pilgrims.

Angara, citing other complaints, said these same issues were also raised during the 2022 pilgrimage and a previous investigation regarding the matter was even conducted. The resolution directs the appropriate Senate Committee to conduct an inquiry on the reported incidents. (Mindanao Examiner)