Photo: Office of MP Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” A. Macacua
COTABATO CITY(October 9) — EIGHT Bangsamoro lawmakers have committed portions of their 2026 Transitional Development Impact Fund (TDIF) allocations to support the Bangsamoro Pilgrimage Authority’s (BPA) November Umrah activities for residents of the autonomous region.
The commitments were formalized Tuesday, Oct. 6, when the lawmakers signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the BPA, represented by Executive Director Ebrahim Ali.
The agreement outlines the financial support that each lawmaker’s office will provide from its respective TDIF allocation. The report did not specify the peso amount committed by each lawmaker or indicate that the funds had already been disbursed to the BPA.
The eight lawmakers are Kadil Sinolinding Jr., Hatimil Hassan, Randolph Parcasio, Suaib Oranon, Said Salendab, Abdulbasit Benito, Uttoh Salem Cutan and Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba.
The funding will support BPA activities connected with the November Umrah mission, including assistance and welfare services for pilgrims from across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The BPA’s coverage includes pilgrims from the region’s five provinces — Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi — as well as the cities of Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan.
Ali and BPA officials expressed appreciation to the eight lawmakers for committing funds from their respective TDIF allocations for this year’s Umrah activities.
The arrangement is a funding commitment through the lawmakers’ offices, rather than a statement that the lawmakers are personally financing the pilgrimage.
The BPA is the Bangsamoro government’s agency responsible for administering and supervising Hajj and Umrah services for pilgrims from the region. Under the Bangsamoro Administrative Code, the authority is tasked with implementing programs and activities for the efficient administration of pilgrimage services.
Sinolinding, who also serves concurrently as minister of the BARMM Ministry of Health, said the health ministry would provide essential medical and emergency assistance to Bangsamoro pilgrims who may need it.
For transparency, the actual amounts, timing and specific expenditure items covered by each TDIF commitment would need to be identified from the signed MOA, fund-release documents or related budget records.
For now, the agreement establishes the lawmakers’ commitment to provide financial support for the November Umrah activities, while the BPA prepares welfare and assistance services for pilgrims from across BARMM.
