Category: News & Archives

UP IIS receives Data Champion Award from UPD Quality Assurance Office

Post author By UP Institute of Islamic Studies
Post date 13 Jan 2026

The UP Institute of Islamic Studies (UP IIS) concluded 2025 with a notable recognition, receiving the UP Diliman Data Champion Award from the UP Diliman Quality Assurance Office. According to the UP Diliman Quality Assurance Office website, “UP Diliman Data Champions are recognized for their consistent, accurate, and timely submissions supporting participation in the QS/THE (Times Higher Education) Impact Rankings.”

The THE Impact Rankings highlight the vital role of higher education institutions in supporting humanitarian and development efforts through research, engagement, and institutional initiatives, contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The recognition was conferred during the “QS and THE University Rankings Symposium,” which focused on UP Diliman’s shift toward a unified, evidence-based strategy for international rankings. Under this new framework, the University emphasizes data accuracy and shared accountability across all its academic and administrative units. The event was held on December 5, 2025 at the UP National Engineering Center. The award was received by Assistant Professor Darwin J. Absari, College Secretary, and Mr. Kamaruddin Bin Alawi Mohammad, University Researcher II.

News & Archives

UP IIS Welcomes UniSZA Faculty Members and Students to UP Diliman

Post author By UP Institute of Islamic Studies
Post date 25 Nov 2025

The UP Institute of Islamic Studies (UP IIS) welcomed faculty members and students from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) to the University of the Philippines Diliman as part of the Global Islamic Student Outreach (GISO) 2025 program. The visit took place on November 24, 2025, at the UP School of Economics in UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Led by Deputy Dean Prof. Madya Dr. Jamalluddin Bin Hashim, the delegation of 28 UniSZA students visited UP IIS to explore opportunities for academic collaboration and to learn about the Institute’s initiatives that support and empower Muslim communities in the Philippines.

Dean Julkipli M. Wadi warmly received the delegates and delivered an overview of the rich history, presence, and contributions of Muslims in the Philippines, including within the UP Diliman community. He also emphasized the Institute’s continuing efforts to promote scholarship, cultural understanding, and community engagement. The program featured a lecture on The Arrival of Islam in the Philippines by Mr. Kamaruddin Bin Alawi Mohammad, University Researcher II.

The visit also provided a venue for meaningful conversations between the delegates and Dean Wadi on topics concerning Islam, as well as the culture, identity, and lived experiences of Muslim Filipinos. To conclude the visit, the group toured the construction site of the new UP IIS building–an upcoming learning hub envisioned to broaden academic programs and strengthen partnerships with UniSZA and other institutions in the Philippines and abroad.

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Article by Camz Bello | Photos by Marlon Pervera and Margarett Manalastas

News & Archives

Shari’ah Education Campaign Reaches Baguio City and Tawi-Tawi Through UP CIDS-ISP, UP IIS, and NCMF Collaboration

Post author By UP Institute of Islamic Studies
Post date 28 Sep 2025

Now on its third and fourth iteration in 2025, the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies–Islamic Studies Program (UP CIDS-ISP), in partnership with the UP Institute of Islamic Studies (UP IIS) and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), conducted the Shari’ah Education Campaign in Baguio City on September 8 and in Tawi-Tawi on September 26, 2025.

The Shari’ah Education Campaign forms part of Project 2: “Code of Muslim Personal Laws (CMPL) in the Philippines: Enhancing Relevance and Acceptance,” an initiative of UP CIDS-ISP that seeks to raise public awareness of the CMPL and address existing gaps in the country’s legal and community frameworks concerning Muslim personal laws.

While the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) continues to strengthen its efforts to promote Shari’ah law, areas outside its jurisdiction—particularly those with prominent Muslim populations and existing Muslim agencies under local government units—require additional support. In response, UP CIDS-ISP continues to implement educational campaigns in various parts of the country, including Baguio City, which now has emerging Islamic institutions and a growing Muslim community, and Tawi-Tawi, where Muslims constitute the majority of residents.

Local partnerships were key to the campaign’s execution. The Baguio leg was organized by UP CIDS-ISP and hosted at the University of the Philippines Baguio. For the Tawi-Tawi leg, the Provincial Government of Tawi-Tawi served as host, with NCMF as the main organizer and UP CIDS-ISP providing support through its resource speakers.

The campaign featured distinguished resource speakers from the UP Institute of Islamic Studies. In Baguio, Atty. Mehol K. Sadain delivered a lecture on the Introduction to Shari’ah. In both Baguio and Tawi-Tawi, Assoc. Prof. Macrina Morados discussed the Overview of Presidential Decree No. 1083; Ms. Johayra Datumanong Datlan expounded on the Salient Provisions of the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines; and Asst. Prof. Darwin Absari provided insights into the Brief History of Islamic Law in the Philippines.

These continuing efforts underscore the importance of collaboration among Shari’ah experts, Muslim leaders, local government units, and relevant stakeholders in addressing contemporary challenges surrounding Shari’ah law in the Philippines. The project also aims to produce policy recommendations and proposed revisions to further strengthen and enhance the implementation of the CMPL.

Participants of the Shari’ah Education Campaign included barangay officials, religious leaders, and other key stakeholders from the local Muslim communities.

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Article by: Camz Bello
Photos by: Nashwina Rasul

News & Archives

UP IIS, ICRC, AQI ADDU hold Certificate Course on IHL, Islamic Law related to Armed Conflict (Siyar)

Post author By UP Institute of Islamic Studies
Post date 19 Sep 2025

The urgent pursuit of peace and progress amidst the present context calls for institutions sharing the same strive. As stressed by Prof. Julkipli Wadi, UP Institute of Islamic Studies (UP IIS) Dean, “We have seen the need to read and examine developments that entail understanding of international relations, as this is the only path what nations and countries should pursue, as we have already witnessed the horrible atrocities of war.”

This was one of the opening messages during the opening program of the “Certificate Course on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Islamic Law related to Armed Conflict (Siyar) held on September 16-18, 2025, in Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City.

Now in its fifth iteration, the certificate course is organized in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Al Qalam Institute of the Ateneo de Davao University (AQI ADDU). Mark Paul Samante, Chairperson, University Community Engagement and Advocacy Council of ADDU, also encouraged the participants to “engage not only as learners and scholars but as advocates who carry forward the values of dialogue, of respect, and of humanity in the face of conflict.” He added, “We look forward to a meaningful exchange of perspectives that will inspire us to pursue pathways of peace in our own meaningful communities.”

This annual event fortified not only the partnership between said institutions but, more importantly, their shared objectives. According to Layal Neaimeh, Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, International Committee of the Red Cross, these goals include exploring the conventions between IHL and Islamic Law; promoting understanding of the protection of civilians, wounded, and sick during armed conflicts; discussing the obligation and protection of healthcare workers; evolving in and with the discussions of the contribution of IHL and Islamic Law related to armed conflict in advancing peace; and acclimatizing these to the local, regional, and international state of affairs.

Select speakers from UP IIS and ICRC catered to these objectives through topics such as introductory lectures on ICRC, IHL, and Siyar, as well as discussions of principles governing armed conflict under IHL and Islam during the first day.

The discussions continued on Day Two with the “Protection of Civilians, Civilian Objects, Wounded and Sick under IHL,” “Protection of Civilians, Properties and Non-Combatants in Islamic Perspective,” “Treatment of the Captured Combatant from the Islamic Perspective,” “Management of the Dead and Missing Persons in Humanitarian Settings,” “Dignified Treatment of the Deceased and Missing Persons from Islamic Perspective,” “Protection of Health Care, Religious, and Humanitarian Personnel under IHL,” and “Protection of Health Care, Religious, and Humanitarian Personnel in Islam.”

The final day highlighted topics on gender parameters and roles, particularly “Protection Against Gender-Based Violence in Conflict Philippines,” and “Protection of Women and Children in Islam,” and contemporary contexts such as “The Role of IHL in advancing Peace in Mindanao,” and “Contemporary Challenges in IHL and Islamic Law.”

The daily series of lectures each culminated with open panel sessions, case studies, and group workshops on “IHL and Islamic Law of War and Peace,” “Lingering Humanitarian Needs of the Missing during Armed Conflicts,” and “Engaging religious leaders, academic institutions and non-state actors on IHL and Islamic Law,” facilitated by legal advisers from ICRC.

The fifth certificate course on IHL, Islamic Law related to Armed Conflict (Siyar) was attended by 30 participants coming from various regions, including Davao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Cotabato, Maguindanao, Zamboanga, Cebu, Butuan, and Manila. They represented government organizations, academic and Islamic institutions, non-government organizations, several BARMM agencies, and private organizations.

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Article and photos by: Margarett Manalastas | Senior Project Assistant, UP IIS-RPED

News & Archives

IIS Holds Thesis Writing Seminar

Post author By Kamaruddin Bin Alawi Mohammad
Post date 11 Sep 2025

The UP Institute of Islamic Studies (UP IIS) hosted another capacity-building activity entitled “Seminar on Graduate Thesis Writing and Academic Integrity: Tools, Tips, and Ethical Practice.” The activity was held on September 3, 2025, in Room 300, Virata Hall, UP Institute of Small-Scale Industries Building, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.

Ms. Margarette Manalastas, Senior Project Assistant of the Research, Publication, and Extension Division (RPED), explained that the seminar is part of the Academic Research Utilization for Graduate Advancement (ARUGA) program under the Internal Quality Resilience Agenda (IQRA). Now in its second installation, the seminar aims to strengthen research skills and engagement of UP IIS students by providing relevant instructions, guidelines, and regulations.

Asst. Prof. Darwin J. Absari, College Secretary of UP IIS, emphasized the significance of having a “mentor” for research writing. He mentioned that previous UP IIS students, particularly those working on their thesis, were not as fortunate as the current group. There were no workshops on research writing, and students solely depended on their research course. He also stated that “learning” is a lifelong process and is innate in humans due to their tendency to forget. Therefore, seminars on research and similar topics serve as crucial reminders during a student’s academic experience.

There were two resource speakers invited for the seminar: Asst. Prof. Yhna Therese Santos, Assistant Professor at the UP School of Library and Information Science (UP SLIS) and the Chair of UP Diliman’s Task Force for Research Integrity, who presented on “Thesis Writing Tools and Tips,” and Mr. Ahmadgaid Al Asaad, Manager of Advanced Analytics at Johnson & Johnson Philippines and alumnus of the UP Institute of Islamic Studies, who covered “Plagiarism, Turnitin, and AI.”

Asst. Prof. Santos, the first resource speaker, presented an overview on thesis writing, some tips as the process of writing goes on, some information on AI, and relevant information on Arabic translation and transliteration. Mr. Al Asaad, the second resource speaker, discussed plagiarism by contrasting his experience as a student of Statistics and of Islamic Studies, and highlighted the ethical use of Turnitin and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The seminar was attended by UP IIS faculty, staff, and students, along with participants via Zoom.

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