Philippines and Indonesia to offer scholarships for Muslim Filipinos

Philippines and Indonesia partner to offer scholarships for Muslim Filipinos, enhancing religious and educational ties

MANILA, Philippines (MNTV) – The governments of the Philippines and Indonesia are teaming up to offer scholarships for Muslim Filipinos to study at an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia. 

These scholarships, which will include a living allowance, will give recipients the opportunity to study at Pondok Pesantren Darullughah Wadda’wah, a well-known Islamic institution in Indonesia.

The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) revealed that an eight-member delegation recently visited Jakarta to discuss the partnership. 

NCMF Secretary Sabuddin Abdurahim shared that the mission was successful, with Indonesia’s ministry of religious affairs expressing interest in offering scholarships to Muslim Filipinos. 

The scholarships will cover tuition costs as well as a cost-of-living allowance for the students. 

NCMF officials plan to finalize the arrangement through a memorandum of understanding and will soon release details on how to apply for the program.

In addition to the scholarship initiative, both governments are exploring further areas of collaboration, including organizing the Hajj pilgrimage and certifying halal products. 

These partnerships are aimed at strengthening the ties between the two countries, both of which are home to large religious populations—Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, while the Philippines is predominantly Christian.

The scholarship initiative highlights Indonesia’s ongoing support for the Muslim community in the Philippines, which numbers around 6.98 million, or 6.4% of the country’s population.