Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is expected to begin on May 25 this year in the holy city of Makkah. For many Muslims in the Philippines, where they make up around 10 percent of the country’s predominantly Catholic population of 110 million, the pilgrimage requires years of preparation due to high travel and accommodation costs.

Rasmia Paniorotan, 59, from Marawi, said she had nearly given up hope of performing Hajj after losing her home and business during the 2017 siege that devastated the southern Philippine city.“When ground zero happened, everything was destroyed. We lost everything our home, our business,” Paniorotan said, adding that her daughter had been supporting the family since.

Earlier this year, her daughter surprised her by arranging the pilgrimage for both parents.“One day, she told us to prepare our passports. We asked why, and when she said it was for Hajj, we wondered where we would get the money,” Paniorotan said. “She only said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.’

She said leaving for Saudi Arabia on Friday was an emotional moment.“I thought we would never be able to go. I lost hope,” she said. “No matter what happens, I am going to Makkah.”According to Zainoden Usudan, head of the pilgrimage bureau at the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, financial readiness remains the biggest barrier for many applicants.

The cost of performing Hajj can reach 350,000 Philippine pesos, or about $5,700, a significant amount for many households, particularly in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, where most Filipino Muslims reside.“Some save for years for this once-in-a-lifetime journey,” Usudan said. “Before qualifying for Hajj, you must be physically, mentally and financially prepared.

Among these, financial readiness is the most difficult.”Soraya Marandacan, a school nurse from Marawi, said she spent nearly a decade saving small amounts from her monthly salary and bonuses to fund her pilgrimage.

“I would set aside 5,000 or 10,000 pesos every month until I was able to save enough,” she said.Her plans were delayed by the prolonged illness of her husband, who died in December 2024 after battling colon cancer. Medical expenses, she said, consumed much of her savings.