Mosque to rise inside Fort del Pilar

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City — A two-story mosque is set to rise on a 400-square-meter lot inside the campus of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) here.

This, even as the academy has only 10 Muslim students out of its 700 cadets at present.

The commandant of cadets, Col. Ben Dolorfino, a Muslim convert, presented the idea during the middle of the year to PMA superintendent Maj. Gen. Rufo de Veyra who, in turn, "readily accepted" it.

Dolorfino, who took over as commandant of cadets last May, told The STAR that De Veyra supported his mosque project to enhance the cultural awareness of the academy’s cadets.

Dolorfino converted to the Muslim faith in 1981 when he met his future wife, Nur Aun Nusay, in Mindanao where he, a first lieutenant then, was assigned.

The mosque will rise on the PMA’s "chapels’ area" where a Catholic chapel and a Protestant worship place now stand.

Estimated to cost P13 million, the mosque will be able to accommodate all the 4,000 Muslims in the city, said Dolorfino, adding that Baguio’s Muslim population can come and say their prayers here.

Asked if this will not create any security problems, Dolorfino said the city’s Muslim immigrants are "peace-loving" and should pose "no problem" to the academy which, for the first time, required local reporters to submit photos for accreditation to the aborted presidential visit last Saturday.

"We are still trying to generate funds," he said.

Cadet Jean Alia Robles, the only female Muslim cadet, welcomes the plan.

Robles, whose mother hails from Basilan, said the academy’s 10 Muslim cadets say some of their required five daily prayers in the "Islamic Prayer Room" at the Florendo Hall.

She lamented that she is not able to complete her prayers everyday because of their busy and rigid schedules.

Still, Robles said the mosque will enable the Muslim cadets to invite their imams (religious leaders) to say prayers for them.

Robles is ranked eighth among the 139 graduating cadets. Another Muslim, Samsudin Lintengan, will also graduate.