Manila: Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has formed a national committee to organize commemoration of the 650th anniversary of Philippine Muslim history and heritage, his office announced on Thursday, which seeks to recognize the minority community’s role in shaping the country.
Islam first arrived in the Philippines in 1380, according to the National Historical Institute, making it “the oldest monotheistic religion” in the southeast Asian nation, where Muslims make up around 6 percent of its 110 million population.