Caraga State U’s Muslim prayer room strengthens campus inclusivity
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — Caraga State University (CSU) in Butuan City has taken a meaningful step in supporting its Muslim students and personnel by providing a dedicated space for prayer that strengthens inclusivity, promotes respect, and fosters a harmonious campus environment.
The Muslim prayer room is a testament to CSU’s commitment to the well-being and needs of the diverse student body, ensuring that everyone has access to facilities that cater to their academic, social, and spiritual needs.
According to the university officials, the CSU is the first and only school among state universities and colleges (SUC) across the Caraga region that offers a dedicated Muslim prayer room.
Located on the 2nd floor of the CSU library, the Muslim prayer room is designed to accommodate many students and is accessible for use during all prayer times. It is equipped with essential facilities to support the practice of Islamic worship, including prayer mats, Qibla direction markers, and clean ablution facilities for Wudu or ritual purification. It is also gender-segregated, ensuring privacy and comfort for all Muslim students, including employees.
Doctor Rissa L. Mercado, vice president for Student Affairs and Auxiliary Services, in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga stated, “The goal of the Muslim prayer room is to provide Muslim students and staff with a designated space for their prayers and spiritual activities in a peaceful and comfortable setting.”
She added that the initiative accommodates the growing Muslim student population in CSU, ensuring that their religious obligations are met with ease and convenience. “For the academic year 2025-2026, we have 23 students and two personnel who are Muslims. Most are Maranao, Tausug, and Balik-Islam or non-Muslims converting to Islam.”
VP Mercado gave credit to some personnel of CSU who are alumni of the Mindanao State University (MSU), and they inspired the university’s leadership to strengthen support for Muslim students. She cited CSU President Rolyn C. Daguil, an alumnus of MSU main campus in Marawi City, who leads the university not only in providing quality education to the learners, but also in bolstering the advocacy on campus inclusivity.
She also shared that aside from the Muslim prayer room, CSU has a dedicated Muslim student body known as the Caraga Muslim Students Association (CAMSA), which currently has 21 members. “Together with the adviser and officers of CAMSA, we are working on establishing a dedicated space in the canteen where we can sell Halal delicacy or food that conforms to Islamic dietary laws, such as the famous pater, palapa, among others.”
Meanwhile, Johara B. Mona, president of CAMSA, expressed gratitude to CSU for the safe space that it has provided to the Muslim students and personnel. “I have not experienced discrimination inside the campus, in fact, CAMSA actively participates in various activities on campus.
“During the recent Pause-to-Pass activity where students were given free ‘pospas’ or porridge before or after taking their final examinations, the CAMSA also joined and was given a space where we also offered free ‘balolon,’ a Muslim porridge,” Mona said, mentioning their group’s sample engagement as a testament to their recognition and belongingness in the university.
She encouraged Muslim students, especially the Balik-Islam to declare their ethnicity and religious affiliation upon enrollment and join the CAMSA so they too can have a more positive campus experience and better exercise their freedom to practice their faith.
The CSU’s Muslim prayer room is a significant achievement that enhances the university’s commitment to inclusivity. It serves as a model for other institutions to design spaces that cater to the unique needs of their diverse student population, ensuring that all members of the academic community feel respected and valued. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands with a report from CSU-OSWE)
