In a major push for educational inclusivity, public and private Madaris representatives convened with local officials and policy specialists to streamline the integration of Madrasah education into the Philippine educational system.
Madrasah Education Program is a comprehensive initiative of the Department of Education (DepEd) that integrates Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) alongside K-12 subjects in public and private schools to promote a culturally sensitive learning environment.
Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) Al Qalam Institute Director Datu Mussolini Sinsuat Lidasan pointed out that asatidz, or the Madrasah teachers, have been historically struggling with various institutional and systemic challenges in pursuit of quality education, including a lack of resources, funding shortages, lack of recognition, and unclear policies.
“Generations of asatidz or teachers fought with minimal resources in spaces that were sometimes nothing more than a man and a blackboard, under the weight of underfunding, underrecognition, and policy ambiguity. And yet, they fought, because in Islam, seeking knowledge is not optional.”
DepEd Davao City Schools Division Focal Person for Madaris Education, Haroun Ranain, underscored that many public ALIVE instructors work under contractual arrangements, ineligible for plantilla or regular positions in DepEd despite passing the Qualifying Examination in Arabic Language and Islamic Studies (QEALIS) due to non-licensure.
“Natapos na sa qualified examination ‘yung mga ALIVE teachers natin…mayroon po tayong mga hindi pa pumasa ng licensure examination… Yung mga teachers po natin na pumasa doon sa licensure examination…ang binibigyan ng [DepEd’s] Central Office ng [plantilla] item.”
DepEd’s Bureau of Education Assessment (BEA) administers the QEALIS for aspiring ALIVE teachers, while the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) holds the licensure examinations.
To bridge this gap, Second Congressional Commission on Education Executive Director, Dr. Karol Mark Yee, encouraged streamlining possible amendments to Republic Act No. 7836 or the Teachers Professionalization Act, to formalize the pathways of asatidz toward licensure and standardize Madrasah education.
“Kung ngayon your process is through the Bureau of Education Assessment of DepED, baka we can figure out if there is a way to already put that [assessment and certification process for asatidz] also into the law in relation to the Professional Regulation Commission.”
Meanwhile, private integrated and traditional Madrasah education continue to heavily depend on tuition, donations, and community contributions amid funding shortfalls and uneven access to government subsidy support.
National Association of Bangsamoro Education Inc. (NABEI) President Dr. Obra Imam posited that systemic and interlocking issues in Madrasah’s teaching development, curriculum delivery, and governance stemmed largely from “fragile financial conditions,” calling for a complete policy response that pushes beyond recognition.
“Transformation requires complete and coordinated actions. It means expanding equitable financing mechanisms. It means investing in teacher professionalization and welfare…ensuring that curriculum delivery is matched with real learning support, digital readiness, and modern educational resources.”
Madrasah misconceptions
Addressing the false notions and biases towards Islamic education, Davao City Madrasah Comprehensive Development and Promotion Unit (MCDPU) Executive Program Director Shaykh Jamal Munib denounced allegations linking Madrasah to terror grooming, stating it’s an education of peace rather than an instrument of violence.
Defending its dignity and importance, Munib asserted that the Madrasah Education Program plays a vital role in catalyzing national peace-building and eradicating insurgencies.
“On the contrary, Madrasah is an antidote of terrorism…Through the Madrasah learning, we can understand the true teachings of Islam.”
He explained that distorted interpretations of the Qur’an have emboldened some Islamic believers to be involved in the conduct of violent extremism and subversive operations, which Madrasah Education may solve by enlightening young Muslim learners in the city.
“Those who engage in this so-called terrorism…are reading the Qur’an…out of context…We prove them wrong here in Davao City.”
NABEI President Dr. Obra Imam also emphasized that Madrasah education not only serves the Islamic communities but also supports holistic youth formation and progressive nation-building.
“They produce learners who are not only academically prepared but also morally grounded, identity conscious, and socially responsible.”
The “#NOORture: Illuminating Gaps, Governing Growth” forum was held on April 29, 2026, at the 3F Pakighinabi Hall,CCFC Building.