MANILA, Philippines – A 28-year-old Filipina from Pikit, North Cotabato, won second place at a prestigious international Qur’an reading contest in Kuala Lumpur, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) announced.
Raihana Ambangala, a Maguindanaoan, was second placer in the female recital category of the 64th International al-Qur’an Recital and Memorization Assembly in Malaysia on Saturday, October 12. The delegate from Malaysia, the host country, placed first in the female category while the Indonesian participant was the third placer.
“The NCMF is proud to share not only to the Filipino Muslim community but to the whole Philippine nation the triumph of Ambangala who bannered the Philippine flag in an international arena,” said NCMF secretary Sabuddin Abdurahim in a news release on Monday, October 14.
“Just like how Filipino athletes bring home pride to the country, Filipinos who excel in a global arena — in a competition organized by reputable foreign governments like Malaysia, which has hosted this annual competition since 1961 — should also be recognized. And so, the NCMF shares this good news to the Filipino people,” the secretary added.
The prize money for Ambangala was 30,000 Malaysian ringgit or P402,600, the NCMF said.
Ambangala, who has two children, said she planned “to start a small business with the prize money,” according to the NCMF. She also hopes to compete again in 2025.
Ambangala came from the NCMF’s team in Soccsksargen, also known as Region XII, under regional director Gapor Quituar. She was also the female champion for the National Qur’an Reading Competition in the Philippines in April this year.
Last Filipino champion was in 2000
The Qur’an contest in Malaysia is one of the world’s most prestigious competitions on reading the holy book of Islam.
The first and only time a Filipino won first place was in 2000, in the female category. Filipino participants later placed second in 2015 (female), fifth in 2019 (female), and third in 2023 (male), according to data provided to Rappler by NCMF Bureau of Muslim Cultural Affairs acting director Michael Mito-on Ali.
“International Qur’an reading competitions such as the one held in Malaysia provide a global platform for Muslims to showcase their mastery of the Holy Qur’an. Students dedicate years to achieve such a high level of expertise, and it serves both as a form of worship and the achievement of a technical skill that benefits the community,” said the NCMF’s regional director in the National Capital Region, Jun Alonto Datu-Ramos.
“In addition, these competitions foster a sense of camaraderie among Muslim nations, an event that allows non-Muslims to experience the beauty of the Holy Qur’an in the manner it was meant to be spoken,” Datu-Ramos told Rappler.
For 2026, according to Abdurahim, the NCMF will also propose the hosting of an International Qur’an Reading Competition in the Philippines. This will coincide with the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
“It’s been decades since the Philippines hosted an IQRC. More than a religious undertaking, it is in line with the 1987 Philippine Constitution’s state policy to promote indigenous culture within the framework of national unity and development,” Abdurahim said.
“The Qur’an is the holy book of Islam. It teaches peaceful living, coexistence, charity, and all other good things. Promoting awareness and knowledge of what Islam is in line with the government’s peacekeeping mission,” he added.
The Philippines, the biggest Catholic-majority country in Asia, has 6.9 million Muslims, making up 6% of the population, according to the latest government census. Most of them live in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao where an autonomous Muslim region exists, while around 173,000 reside in the capital region, Metro Manila. – Rappler.com
