SAUDI DONATES 100 METRIC TONNES OF DATES FOR MUSLIM FILIPINOS

A vendor offers dates for sale during the holy fasting month of Ramadhan. (Photo: The Brunei Times/EPA)

Riyadh, 13 Ramadan 1435/11 July 2014 (MINA) – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has donated 100 metric tonnes (MT) of pressed dates, for distribution to Muslim Filipinos this holy fasting month of Ramadhan.

Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Abdullah Ibrahim Al Hassan said the dates were turned over to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), The Brunei Times quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, on Friday (11/7).

Abdullah said in a recent statement, This year, the Kingdom has donated 2,500 MT of dates to friendly countries, of which 100 MT were provided to the Republic of the Philippines.

As this developed, NCMF Secretary Yasmin Busran Lao said the agency has adopted a new programme that would institutionalise the distribution of donated fruit dates through the “Tamr Sharing Activity” project.

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She noted the program will be performed from now before the inception of the holy month of Ramadhan.

Lao thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for donating dates to Muslim Filipinos for years already.

“Tonnes of fruit dates are delivered yearly by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia to NCMF for distribution to our Filipino brothers and sisters for use in breaking their fast during the observance of Ramadhan,” she said.

Lao said the move to institutionalise the distribution of fruit dates “is aimed at maintaining and respecting the trust and confidence given by the government of Saudi Arabia to NCMF as its principal channel in the distribution of the fruit dates to our Filipino Muslim brothers and sisters.”

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In the Philippines, Ramadhan was observed starting last June 29, with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao holding a month-long trade fair in Cotabato City for the occasion. (T/Nidiya/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

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