Fulfilling one of her reform promises at the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), Secretary/CEO Bai Omera D. Dianalan-Lucman reduced substantially the fees being collected for Certificates of Conversion to Islam (CCI) and Tribal Identity (CTI) to only P50 each.

Moros, composed of 13 ethnic groups (Balik-Islam is 14th), have also been shelling out from P100 to P200 when they apply for CTI, which they need for passport application.

In a memorandum dated May 6, Lucman also set Request for Travel Tax Exemption Certificate to P50, Translation from Arabic to English and vice versa to P100 per page, and Marriage Certificate to P500.

Just as important, Lucman ordered the use of Official Receipts for the collection of fees to ensure they go to the Commission for office improvement and/or for benefit of NCMF employees.

She issued the order to strictly follow Commission on Audit (CoA) rules and regulations, a feat no one of her predecessors in the defunct Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) had done.

Non-Muslims from other faiths who embraced Islam (known as Balik-Islam) have been paying for CCI from P700 to as high as P3,500 which they need to officially identify them as Muslims.

Prof. Yusuf Ledesma, Balik-Islam representative at the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) lauded Lucman's move.

"I hail the lowering of the fee of certificate of conversion. This allows people of whatever means to be able to freely choose their religion. I remember spending at least P700 when I converted," said Ledesma.