Background

In 1978, then President Ferdinand E. Marcos created the Southern Philippine Development Authority (SPDA) which took over the government programs for the Muslims and later became the Ministry of Muslim Affairs and the Presidential Assistance on National Minorities (PANAMIN), which took over the government programs for the Non-Muslim or other tribal groups. One of its main tasks was to integrate into the mainstream of society certain ethnic groups which seek full integration into the larger community and at the same time protect the rights of those who wish to preserve their original lifeways beside the larger community (P.D. 1414, 1978).

Before the collapse of the Marcos regime, however, PANAMIN Secretary Manuel Elizalde Jr., left the country and abandoned his organization. The interim government under Pres. Ferdinand Marcos created another agency, the Office for Muslim Affairs and Cultural Communities (OMACC) by virtue of the Executive Order No. 969. The OMACC catered to the needs of both the Muslims and the Non-Muslim communities as its clientele. This agency did not last long as government management soon realized that lumping the Islamicized groups and the ICCs into one office did not work well as envisioned. In January 1987, following the 1986 February Revolution, the OMACC was abolished and the Aquino government issued three Executive Orders creating three distinct and separate offices, as follows, E.O. No. 122-A, creating the Office for the Muslim Affairs (OMA); E.O. 122-B, creating the Office for Northern Cultural Communities (ONCC) and E.O. 122-C, creating the Office for Southern Cultural Communities(OSCC). These three Offices were attached to the Office of the President.

(Excerpt from the website of the
National Commission on the Indigenous Peoples)

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The Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 122-A dated January 30, 1987 as amended by Executive Order No. 295 with the mandate of preserving and developing the culture, traditions, institutions and well-being of Muslim Filipinos, in conformity with the country’s laws and in consonance with national unity and development.

(Excerpt from the website of the
Commission on Audit)

Muslim Filipinos - From Library of Congress Country Studies

Eid al-Adha Ceremony
Event date: January 20, 2005 (From U. S. Embassy)