MANDALUYONG CITY โ Four employees of the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) are now certified Islamic Finance practitioners after successfully passing the Associate Qualification in Islamic Finance (AQIF) by the Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM) given last May 11, 2024, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sheelinie H. Limgas, Khairon A. Sura, Janaima A. Ebrahim, and Bai Sittie Amira Nouf N. Lauban were awarded the AQIF certification in a ceremony presided over by BARMM Senior Minister Abunawas L. Maslamama and IBFIM Chief Executive Officer Yusry Yusoff on July 19 at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Headquarters in Mandaluyong City.
Moreover, twenty-five officials and employees from various ministries and offices, including the Ministry of Finance, and Budget and Management (MFBM), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD), Office of the Chief Minister โ Finance Management Services (OCM-FMS), and Office of the Wali of Bangsamoro (OWB), also received their certificates, confirming their new status as certified Islamic Finance practitioners.
A total of twenty participants from the Philippines, including four from BPDA, took part in the seven-day Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) – Associate Qualification in Islamic Finance (AQIF) program conducted by IBFIM from May 6-12 in Malaysia.
The AQIF program is tailored to meet the needs of practitioners at all levels within the Islamic Finance industry. Comprising five modules, the program aims to equip Islamic Finance practitioners with essential foundational knowledge in Shariah and the application of Shariah contracts in Islamic Finance products and operations. It also offers insights into the ethical guidelines necessary for practicing Islamic Finance and the regulatory framework governing Islamic Finance in Malaysia.
Given that the Bangsamoro government views Islamic Finance as a key driver of socioeconomic development, this initiative to equip its officials and employees is part of the regionโs effort to establish a banking system that aligns with the needs, identity, aspirations, and way of life of the Bangsamoro.
The list of passers also includes individuals from the Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines (AIIBP), ADB, and national agencies such as the Auditing and Assurance Standards Council (AASC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Bureau of Treasury (BTr), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Financial and Sustainability Reporting Standards Council (FSRSC) โ Philippine Interpretations Committee (PIC), Insurance Commission (IC), National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC), and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).