It is often said that education is the one inheritance, legacy that cannot be taken away from anyone. Many of our great heroes and leaders are quoted saying that it is the major force that will raise our nation from what we are at present. Even the holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said that it is one of our duties as Muslims to acquire as much knowledge as we can for ourselves and to provide the same to those under our custody. It is with these things in mind that the Center for Moderate Muslims (CMM) remains steadfast in implementing its projects that are geared towards providing this important service to the Muslim community.

We start them young.

     With the continued operation of the CMM-Hamdani Daycare Center, more than two hundred students will again be waking up early starting July and coming in droves to the humble structure maintained in Maharlika Village to house the classes of tots who are eager to learn Islamic, Arabic and other basic subjects. In a few weeks, the Daycare Center will again be filled with the smiling and accomplished faces of the kids who wisely spend their time learning while enjoying instead of wasting their entire days in unproductive activities.

We persevere to reach out to our youth.

     In this age of information technology, we would not want our Muslim youth trailing behind and being unable to keep up with their non-Muslim peers. Insha Allah, the Computer Literacy Program which reopens in August will keep on honing young minds to get accustomed to modernity without, however, forsaking their religious values.  In its more than 5 years of existence, many graduates have found employment abroad.  Providing the network to participate in Youth activities, such as the recently-concluded “Youth Leaders’ Summit” in Tanay, Rizal also gave them a chance to hone their leadership skills.

We let our elders know that it is never too late to learn.

     In these most trying times, more and more individuals find it hard to squeeze in their busy schedule time to get Islamic and Arabic lessons especially for those who have their families to feed. The Sunday Women’s Group and the Tartil, both held on weekends, provide a convenient venue for our parents and other interested age-groups to meet and learn more about our religion.

     All these we maintain despite the spiraling cost of living and the looming threat of the effects of recession to our country and to our most generous donors. Thus, the CMM thought it best to come up with activities that would augment the financial needs of the projects it aims to pursue. And what best way to continue the tradition of educating than to use education itself to promote our ideals!

     The Madrasah-Montessori Learning Center (MMLC) is an innovative merge of an important teaching style and an essential curriculum designed for a more effective learning experience to its Muslim students. The Montessori method, known for its approach of letting the child teach him/herself in an enjoyable way and later prepare him/her for independence, is used to teach the enrollees not only the basic subjects commonly taught in other ordinary schools but also the added bonus of Arabic and Islamic courses. With its low classroom-student ratio (a maximum of 20 students per class) and without limiting the number of teachers in a class (with at least two teacher aides assisting the main teacher) the pupils are sure to be given attention and guaranteed to learn the advanced curriculum aimed to be accomplished for every academic year.

     This form of learning, a first of its kind in the country, is offered by the CMM at even less cost than the other known Montessori schools which do not offer the same relevant curriculum as the MMLC does. And whatever humble income the MMLC provides will, Insha Allah, be used as additional funds for the standing projects of the CMM. The decreased tuition and the cause behind the establishment of the school is still in keeping with the valuable legacy that Comm. Basman has left to his children about the importance of education and is now being passed on by the CMM, in its modest way, to the Muslim community.