By Fr. Rex Rocamora, SSC, Columban IRD Coordinator
On the 4th of May 2026, I found myself walking once again toward the Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque on the island of Simunul, Tawi-Tawi—the oldest mosque in Southeast Asia. Built in 1380 by the Arab missionary Karimul Makhdum, it stands as a reminder of the arrival of Islam to these islands.
My first visit was in 2024, when twenty-two of us — Catholics, Muslims, and members of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines — made what I called a Pilgrimage of Peace.
This time, I travelled with Fr. Yrap Nazareno, IRD Director of the Diocese of Malaybalay; Fr. Joseph Joy Rocamora of the Diocese of Ipil, my own brother; and Dominic from Myanmar, a Columban FMA student.
Dominic and I took the 12-hour bus ride from Iligan to Zamboanga City, where we joined Fr. Yrap for an overnight stay at Silsilah Harmony Village. There, we had the privilege of meeting its founder, PIME missionary Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, recipient of the CBCP’s Bishop Jeorge Barlin Golden Cross Service Award in July 2024.
The following morning, we flew to Tawi-Tawi for the 25th anniversary of Fr. Ramil Janguin — known affectionately as Fr. Bagay, or “Friend” in Tausug — who has faithfully served the people of these islands for a quarter of a century.
At the mosque, a guide walked us through the history: how the local chieftain was initially cautious, but once he converted, the community followed. Islam took root here centuries before Christianity arrived in the archipelago in 1521.
After the appreciation walk, the assistant imam invited me to his Madrasah — a simple room where he teaches young children. He took out a piece of paper so I could try writing Arabic letters. Then I gave him my pen. “Is this a sign pen?” he asked. “It’s an ordinary pen,” I replied, “but my favorite.” He smiled and promised to keep it.
“It is all about friendship,” Fr. Popong Halley once said. In his memory, we held the first Pilgrimage of Peace (POP) in August 2023 in the Prelature of St. Mary in Marawi with the first batch of Columban FMA students. This August, as part of the First Mission Assignment program, we will make the pilgrimage once again — this time to commemorate Father Popong’s 25th death anniversary and to join in celebrating the Prelature’s Golden Jubilee, which will culminate on November 20.
Established in 1976 by Pope Paul VI, with Bishop Bienvenido Tudtud as its first prelate, the Prelature of Marawi was itself a profound act of dialogue and friendship — a “reconciling hand” extended to our Muslim brothers and sisters.
On the outrigger boat back to Fr. Ramil’s parish in Bato-Bato, the waves splashed over me. In that wet, prayerful moment, I remembered that my maternal grandfather — a WWII veteran — had migrated from Carigara, Leyte to Jolo, then Zamboanga City, before finally settling in Ipil, Zamboanga del Sur. Somewhere in these waters, I sensed a quiet thread of my own story. I found myself thinking, “This could have been my home.”
Featured Image: Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque
