The two-day Policy Dialogue on the Bangsamoro Shari’ah Academy and Presidential Decree No. 1083 concluded successfully on September 1–2, 2025, gathering experts, policymakers, and practitioners to advance Shari’ah education and review the Code of Muslim Personal Laws (CMPL). The event was held at the Ground Floor of Ang Bahay ng Alumni, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.
Organized by the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies – Islamic Studies Program (UP CIDS-ISP), the UP Institute of Islamic Studies (UP IIS), and the Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office of BARMM (BAGO-BARMM), the dialogue convened legal, academic, and religious stakeholders including Shari’ah Counselors and Judges, representatives from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), the Philippine Judicial Academy, the House of Representatives, BARMM parliament and ministries, ulama from the Bangsamoro Darul Ifta, and scholars from the University of the Philippines.
Day 1 focused on the proposed establishment of a Bangsamoro Shari’ah Academy, envisioned as a major step toward institutionalizing Shari’ah education and strengthening Islamic legal practice in the region. The discussions centered on developing concrete policy measures to support the Academy’s creation, with Atty. Mohammad Al-Amin Julkipli serving as moderator.
Day 2 shifted to a critical review of PD 1083, or the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines, which has not been updated since its codification in 1977 and the establishment of Shari’ah courts in 1985. Facilitated by Assoc. Prof. Darwin J. Absari, the session examined potential reforms grounded in actual Shari’ah cases, fieldwork findings, and the lived experiences of practitioners. Experts emphasized three priority directions for reform. The first is enhancing, which involves expanding the scope of the law through additional operative provisions, improving effectiveness by addressing gaps and loopholes, and streamlining procedures or clarifying principles and terminologies to strengthen implementation. The second is updating, which entails responding to contemporary changes and ensuring that the law keeps pace with present and future needs. The third is correcting, which means aligning the provisions with the true essence and intent of the law—in this case, Islamic law—while addressing errors and inconsistencies that arise in its implementation.
Distinguished participants included Hon. Justice Edilwasif T. Baddiri, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals, along with other legal experts, policymakers, and ulama. Their contributions highlighted the urgency of revisiting and refining PD 1083 to better serve Muslim communities in the Philippines. Proceedings and policy briefs from the dialogue will be consolidated and published by UP CIDS–Islamic Studies, with the aim of guiding decision-makers and supporting the strengthening of the Shari’ah justice system nationwide.
