Rama hopes Philippines will remain united

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama has expressed anew his hope that the Philippines will remain undivided and remain as one archipelago.

This amid the revival of the Mindanao Initiative, which aims to separate Mindanao from the Philippines to counter the so-called People's Initiative.

Mayor Rama took the chance to express his thoughts as he graced the 18th Shari'ah Training Seminar Commencement at One Central Hotel yesterday.

As president of the League of Cities of the Philippines, Rama has earlier expressed his concern over the conflict between the two most influential political families in the country–the Marcoses and the Dutertes.

Rama expressed more worry when former President Rodrigo Duterte and former House Speaker and now Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez opened the idea of reviving the Mindanao Initiative.

"If you are a servant, always look at your fellowmen, fellow Muslim brothers and sisters, fellow Filipinos. I don't want Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao separated. I only would want one Philippine archipelago," Rama said.

During the event, Rama also took the chance to thank the support of the Muslim community in the city to his administration.

The Shari'ah Training Seminar in Cebu was part of the nationwide Shari'ah law training which started in November.

This training is mandatory for those who will take the Shari'ah Bar examination scheduled this Feb. 24 to 28 in two venues—the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City and Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City.

The exams, just like the regular Bar exams, will be digitalized.

A total of 52 completed the training, which ended today, with 35 women trainees and 17 men. (CEBU NEWS)