Long been working for the welfare of its Muslim and non-Muslim members numbering over 500,000, the Filipino-Muslim Foundation (Fil-Mus) has gained the nod of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), with the poll body granting it the accreditation as a party-list for the 2010 local and national elections.

Fil-Mus founder and president Hadji Hassan U. Dalimbang filed a petition with the poll body on August 15 this year seeking accreditation as party-list group.

Lawyer Ferdinand J. Tamse stands as counsel for Fil-Mus.

After thorough hearing and interview with Dalimbang, the Comelec granted the petition on November 20.

Fil-Mus officials and its members offered Eid’l Adha prayers on Friday, as a thanksgiving for the Comelec accreditation, and a celebration of the Feast of Sacrifice honoring the Patriarch Abraham’s unwaivering faith in God.

Fil-Mus has offices in Mindanao and Metro Manila. Its leadership, members and supporters held the annual congregational prayers at the Fil-Mus Mosque in its Metro Manila offices along Mabini and Pedro Gil Streets in Ermita, Manila.

Dalimbang said the advent of Eid’l Adha made it more significant for the close to 500,000 members of Fil-Mus because it was only on a week ago that the Comelec “granted” its accreditation for the group.

Majority of its marginalized constituents are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) eking out a living in various countries abroad.

“Our members marked Eid’l Adha with extra joys and motivation because of the honorable Comelec commissioners’ accepting our arguments and reasons for our application to join the struggle for the marginalized sectors,” said the Fil-Mus president.