BISCWA

From a Sadaqah Pledge to a Sisterhood

July 11, 2026

The Story Behind BISCWA and the Online Qur’an Program That Reached the World

How a Khutbah About a Single Peso a Day Grew Into Baguio’s Own Madrasa, Dawah Network, and ‘Learn How to Recite the Noble Qur’an’

How it All Began

Learn How to Recite the Noble Qur’an is an online learning program of the Baguio Islamic Cordillera Women’s Association (BISCWA). BISCWA is a non-governmental, non-profit, and not sponsored association organized in the year 2009.

The idea of forming this group traces back to 2009, after the Salatul Eid. The khutbah delivered by Imam Abdul Wahab Lacsaman, known to many as Abu Maher, mentioned the idea of having an Islamic school in Baguio City accredited by the Department of Education, similar to the schools other religions maintain. He pointed out that if only all Muslims in Baguio City gave a sadaqah of one peso a day — making it thirty pesos a month for each person — then in a few years’ time an Islamic school could be established.

“If only all Muslims here in Baguio City give out sadaqah of one peso a day, making it thirty pesos a month for each person, then in a few years’ time an Islamic school can be established.” — Imam Abdul Wahab Lacsaman (Abu Maher)

Some balik-Islam ladies who were present were touched by the message and were eager to act on it. The first step was to form a group. They held meetings after meetings, inviting others to join, until they formed a group called the Baguio Islamic Foundation.
In due respect to the pioneers of this group, it is proper to mention them by name: Zainab Rozalina Balisong, may she rest in peace, who was the first president of BISCWA; Farhana Delia Maba; Maryam Mary Paddil; Fatima de Vera; and Salma Estrella Dulaycan. The first respondents to the invitation were Hayat Desiree Lugod, Maryam Bedijim, Fatimah Gutierrez, Aisha Omar, and Rohana Nabor — mashaAllah tabarakAllah — and, of course, the rest followed.

This group is composed mostly of balik-Islam ladies of mixed tribes hailing from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, residing in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet. About 80 percent are Cordillerans or Igorots, 15 percent are lowlanders, and 5 percent were born to Muslim parents, particularly Maranao, Tausug, and Maguindanaon. Some members have since moved out of the city for valid reasons, but many remain. The forming of this organization was the result of the khutbah on the one-peso-a-day sadaqah; as for the Islamic school itself, none has been built so far — but it will come soon, in sha Allah.

Becoming an Official Organization

The organization needed to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. An application was submitted under the name ‘Baguio Islamic Foundation,’ but for some reason that name was not approved by the certifying body. The group changed it to Baguio Islamic Women’s Association; in the course of registration, the SEC inserted the word ‘Cordillera,’ and the organization was finally registered as the Baguio Islamic Cordillera Women’s Association on November 21, 2012. The following month, it was registered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), in December 2012.

Registration was spearheaded and completed by Ayesha Angelita Fagyan, a former professor at the University of Baguio, may she rest in peace. With that, the real work began.

Vision and Mission

Every organization has its own vision and mission, and BISCWA is no exception. BISCWA envisions spreading the message of Islam and enhancing the intellectual and moral values and social development that express love for Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala, while inculcating sincere love and respect for Prophet Muhammad (SAW) among believers worldwide.

Its mission is built on five pillars:

  1. To bring together Muslim women in Baguio City and nearby places, and across the country, regardless of tribe, and to provide services particularly to less fortunate members of the Islamic society.
  2. Creating a friendly environment within which women can learn from each other.
  3. To foster strong leadership and sisterhood among all seekers of truth.
  4. Identifying and addressing key issues for women, and imparting livelihood trainings.
  5. Underscoring women’s role in children’s education and character development, so they may function successfully as Muslims in society and develop taqwallah, the fear and consciousness of God.

Building Knowledge From the Ground Up

In the early days, members had little experience and limited Islamic knowledge with which to carry out their vision and mission. They attended Islamic classes among themselves under Imam Bedijim, may he rest in peace, their first teacher, who never left their side. He was followed by Ustadh Omar Nasef, Shaykh Fakrudin Ampatuan, Shaykh Nadhir Oquendo, and Shaykh Abdulmalik Muripaga. The members also attended other Islamic lectures and joined halaqat with Maranao sisters. They stayed busy seeking knowledge until BISCWA members developed the confidence to share what they had learned — and, alhamdulillah, they grew strong enough to carry their mission forward.

Dawah, Outreach, and Community Service

The activities established by BISCWA, and still ongoing today, include a dawah program and follow-ups with new reverts through Discover Islam Baguio, where most of the members were active volunteers. BISCWA salutes this center, as it is where much Islamic knowledge was gained and where members developed their confidence in the field of dawah.

Home and hospital visits and outreach programs are also part of the association’s work. Medical and surgical missions were carried out by joining the PNP Camp Dangwa and BCPO medical teams, along with other groups. BISCWA could not initiate such medical missions on its own due to a lack of funds, but joined through invitation and through the active participation of its doctor and nurse members.

Activities also include janazah (funeral) services, with members actively sharing their knowledge of janazah procedures with other groups. Livelihood trainings have not been overlooked either, including food processing and cooking, and dishwashing soap making. Food processing and soap-making trainings were facilitated by trainers from the office of Congressman Go before the year 2025. Trainings from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on baking and dressmaking were also completed. As the world moved further into technology, trainings were facilitated by the National Institute of Information Technology, Baguio (NIIT).

BISCWA highly appreciates the people, from both local and abroad, who contributed to the expenses of these trainings. JazakumUllahu Khairan.

A newer program, held once a week under the leadership of Shaykh Nadhir Oquendo, is the Masjid Educational Tour.

Teaching the Children: The BISCWA Sunday Madrasa

The fifth mission — to provide women and children’s Islamic education — was, admittedly, late in coming. Members were not yet confident enough in the beginning. But the challenges that arose pushed them to act. Among them:

  1. How to teach Muslim children, especially those who are balik-Islam, to read Arabic and learn Islamic values.
  2. How to keep Muslim children from loitering around the marketplace. One incident occurred when BISCWA members, passing by the market, saw Muslim children being chased by policemen because they were selling plastic bags in the market during school hours — meaning they were out-of-school children.

During Ramadan 2016, the BISCWA Sunday Madrasa finally opened. Sunday was chosen as the day so that even children attending regular school could join. Since the prospective teachers at the time had limited knowledge to impart, the subjects taught were Basic Arabic, Islamic Values, and the memorization of short surahs only. Priority was given to out-of-school children ages five to nine — a healthy way to draw these children away from the marketplace, even for half a day each week. There was a moment when two policemen saw the members gathering these children for class and were visibly pleased; from then on, BISCWA had easy access to their office, especially whenever these children found themselves in trouble.

The BISCWA Sunday Madrasa (BSM) is a non-formal Islamic learning program offered free of charge. The first teacher was Teacher Nina Casia, who devoted her time to the BSM after resigning as a professor at the University of Baguio. She was assisted by her daughter, Farah, who was then a graduating student in the College of Psychology and proved to be a big help. Other substitute teachers included Zainab Balisong, may she rest in peace, a graduate of education; Aisha Bint Abdur Rahman; Hamida Malidom; and Kareema Butay. Other responsibilities were handled by Farhana Maba, Cristina Curato, Salma Dulaycan, Aisha Apils, and Fatima Barry.

Today, the subjects offered have been upgraded. Alongside Basic Arabic and Islamic Values, Qaaida Noraniyah and Tilawat have been added to the curriculum.

From a Small Online Class to a Global Program

In 2019, while Ustadha Aisha Bint Abdur Rahman was in Pakistan, she started Tilawat online, beginning with three BISCWA members as her students. In the beginning, this was an informal and free online class. As the number of learners grew, a minimal fee was introduced to compensate the teachers and cover miscellaneous expenses.

The program is now called Learn How to Recite the Noble Qur’an (LHTRTNQ), with its guiding principle drawn from the hadith of Bukhari: khairukum man ta’allamal Qur’ana wa ‘allamahu — “the best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others.” The online program was founded by Ustadha Aisha Bint Abdur Rahman and operates as an online program of BISCWA. As enrollees increased, she needed teachers to handle other learners, and with the help of Sara Unabia, the program grew to meet demand.

“Khairukum man ta’allamal Qur’ana wa ‘allamahu — the best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others.” — Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari

Through social media, the number of enrollees grew, mashaAllah, and even non-members began enrolling. Students joined from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and overseas — from the Middle East, Singapore, Romania, Germany, and other countries. After three to four years of learning, several students went on to become teachers themselves, among them: Sara Unabia for Tilawat; Nina Casia for Qaaida and Arabic Grammar; Khadija Joy del Rosario for Kids’ Qaaida and Tilawat; Josephine Rana Pe for Kids’ Qaaida and Kitab at-Tawheed; Haysah Felipe for Tilawat; Sitti Nur Asya for Tilawat; Hamida Malidom for Tilawat; and Kareema Butay for Tilawat.

Alhamdulillah, these graduates now live out the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): “the best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others.” Allahu Akbar!

Learn More

To learn more about BISCWA’s programs, follow the LHTRTNQ Facebook page and the BISCWA Facebook page, or visit the office at #162 Leonila Hill, West Bayan Park, Baguio City, Philippines.