About 3,500 Filipino pilgrims are joining this year’s five-day hajj in November in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Executive Director Datu Ali B. Sangki of the Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) said Wednesday.

Hajj, the pilgrimage in Islam and its fifth pillar, is obligatory to adult Muslims, who are physically, mentally and financially capable.

Sangki said OMA is presently coordinating with the Embassy of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Arabian Airlines to finalize the processing of visas and flight detail arrangements.

As this developed, the OMA undersecretary responded to the Muslim and non-Muslim solons who sent recommendations to President Arroyo to improve the hajj operation in the country.

Their recommendations include: Waiver of OMA’s charging of P2,500 for a uniform pilgrims’ luggage; Adoption of open airline policy (not just Saudi Arabian Airlines) as carrier of Filipino pilgrims; Elimination of “unnecessary fees” like the $160 “murshid” fee; Encouraging competition for Saudi-based hajj service providers and lowering of “mutawiff” fee; and, Participation of Philippine Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia in OMA’s negotiation for housing accommodation for pilgrims.

Sangki wrote a reply to the President, defending his policies in running OMA.

The OMA official, as he welcomed the solons’ interest on the pilgrims’ welfare, said: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj required the pilgrims’ uniform luggage after getting many complaints on lost luggage; OMA has already advocated an open airline policy, but the Saudi flag carrier offers the lowest ticket costs and direct routes; Murshid fee is necessary to make it official to prevent over-charging by sheikhs (pilgrims’ leaders); Only the Al-Shoraka Group of hajj service provider accepts late down payment and gives more benefit; and, Philippine Embassy officials are already involved, that happened only in Sangki’s time, in negotiating for pilgrims’ housing accommodation.