BEYOND BUDGET
Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
I had the honor of participating in the second International Conference on Communities of Success (ICCOS) held in Singapore last Oct. 4 to 15, upon the kind invitation of Singapore Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Health, Masagos Zulkifli.
I first met Minister Zulkifli when he paid a courtesy call at the Department of Budget and Management last June, accompanied by Singaporean Ambassador to the Philippines Constance See and Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) or the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore Chief Executive Kadir Maideen. It was here where he first mentioned to me that we should explore possible areas of cooperation in promoting the interests of Muslim communities not only in the Philippines but in the region.
Supporting the development of Muslim communities is an advocacy of mine, being the only Filipina Muslim in the Cabinet and the first Muslim Filipina Budget Secretary, so I was delighted when he invited me not only to observe but to join the closing panel for ICCOS last Oct. 15. For me, aside from the opportunity to share the story of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) where I hail from and for which I co-chair the Intergovernmental Relations Body that supports their transition to autonomy, it was more an opportunity to see how Singapore lifts up their Muslim communities and to learn what pathways to take in this direction.
No less than the President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, delivered the keynote address. He emphasized the importance of communities: “Our Singapore Muslim community, even as a minority, enriches our society in every way. Building communities of success for our minority communities is not just good to have, but a necessity. When a minority community underperforms its potential or is discriminated against, it challenges the values we hold dear as a country. I hope that the ICCOS series will not only enable leaders to come together but to inspire each other and find practical pathways for how minority Muslim communities can flourish — now and for the generations to come.”
The Communities of Success initiative is a unique platform by which leaders discuss how the vision of Islam and Muslim communities can be made compatible with the modern world to enable communities to thrive in and actively contribute to contemporary societies. As explained at the Conference, “this vision is especially critical for Muslim communities living in secular political contexts and diverse social environments, as the socio-religious issues and challenges encountered in such contexts are often without much precedence in Islamic history.”
As part of its program, the MUIS Awards were presented by President Shanmugaratnam to 11 outstanding individuals who have made invaluable contributions to the Singapore Muslim Community. I am glad to learn that this year’s awards marked the first time that the Anugerah Belia Harapan was conferred —recognizing young leaders’ vital role in the Muslim Community’s socio-religious development.
The ICCOS 2024 consisted of four panel discussions focusing on: (1) Social upliftment and empowerment; (2) Representative leadership; (3) Social cohesion for the future; and (4) Considerations for the future — enterprise, professionals, and religious sector. The second panel discussion, which talked about the importance of community leaders representing their community’s interests effectively, ensuring inclusivity for fair representation in addressing the concerns of all segments, was joined by our very own Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy President Amina Rasul-Bernardo who served as one of the panelists.
Indeed, it was an inspiring conference with enlightening discussions on how we can make our communities flourish, and I would love to mirror this in the Philippines.
During the closing panel, I shared that the theme of ICCOS — “Inspiring future leaders: Building trust, empowering communities” — truly resonated with me because I myself come from a small town, Marawi, and I truly believe that empowering our small communities will have a great impact on achieving our Agenda for Prosperity not only under this administration but for future generations.
I shared our initiatives to empower communities: from helping BARMM as it creates its own governance structures, to honoring our heritage such as when I joined the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in placing a landmark at the Masjid Sheikh Karimul Makhdum, to supporting local weavers. I emphasized that we are ensuring that our economy's transformation is both sustainable and inclusive.
But most of all, I shared that I feel very blessed to be placed in a position where I can truly be the voice of Muslim Filipinos and continuously push for uplifting this community. On this note, I am proud to announce that we have been given a crucial assignment to assist in organizing the 2026 ICCOS and to establish a regional network for the promotion of Islamic Affairs and Governance.
Thank you, Minister Zulkifli and the MUIS for a truly empowering experience.
Beyond budget, I will certainly pass on the insights I am taking home and that I will in turn do everything I can to continue to empower our Muslim communities in the Philippines and in the Asia Pacific region. Insha Allah.
(Amenah F. Pangandaman is the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management.)