Dhayfullah
Islamic Institute, Inc. derived its name from the term “Dhayfullah” which means
“visitor of Allah”. The name was decided by our founder Aleem Salem Abdullah
Omar to be its name in memory to his closest Arab friend and generous supporter
in managing a school whose name is DhaifAllah Ayesh Al-Utaibi. It initially
started as a regular traditional madrasah primarily proposed and intended for
Qur’anic Memorization for orphan live-in pupils using the two-storey building
of Hadji Ibrahim Unda as lease. The agreement of lease between Aleem Salem and
Hadji Ibrahim will run up to 3 years supposedly, but after a couple of months,
Aleem Salem has decided to erect his own buildings right after he acquired a house
and lot near within the location with a total area of 8, 700 sq. m. The first constructed building was a masjid
(mosque). Soon after it was being completely built, it has been clustered into
four classrooms as a temporary center for learning. The integrated department
moved to its constructed bamboo building with four classrooms and one room for
school canteen upon its completion on 2006. Alongside it, a two room building
was constructed intended for faculty office and small library in the same year.
The
institute was formerly known as Dhayfullah Pilot School and has catered only 8
pupils and employed 4 teachers and asatiz on its first opening. The first
teachers were Muslim Converts namely Mr. Harris Veradio and Ms. Saida Briones
and the first asatiz were Ms. Khadija Macatoon and Ms. Noraisa Unda.
In
year 2006, the school’s name Dhayfullah Pilot School was renamed as Dhayfullah
Islamic Institute, Inc. when it was been officially registered at the
Securities and Exchange Commission for its incorporation and has also earned
its Elementary recognition at the Department of Education. It was also on this
year that the board of trustees have recommended the setting up of the
Institute, noted in its report that “The Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc.
would provide for the first time in the country the All-In-One Curriculum which
is the integrated Islamic and secular education with Qur’anic Memorization
(Tahfihdil Qu’ranil Kareem, a curriculum designed to build a strong Islamized
academic foundation preparing for life-long learning)… For a Dhayfullah Islamic
Institute, Inc. must inevitably realize that it is an Institute for Filipino Muslims
in pursuit of quality balanced education.
Thus,
the institution was offering the complete elementary grade levels that prompted
the change of its name to what is now called “Dhayfullah Islamic Institute,
Inc.” From that time onward, through the vigilance and the devoted dedication,
the reputation of the school grow and improve its enrollment.
Dhayfullah
Islamic Institute, Inc. is a non-stock private educational institution founded
and headed as President/CEO by Aleem Salem Abdullah Omar with 1 interrupted
academic year because on year 2008, his wife Mrs. Norminah B. Unda-Omar
presided it to look for the overall management and administration of the
academic programs.
On
September 10, 2009, an inspection group from the Bureau of Madaris Education
(BME) under the Office of Muslim Education (OME) and Department of Education
(DepEd National) came to evaluate and validate the labor and groundwork of the
institute of 4 years for its elementary department.
In the same year of November 6, the institute
has received its government recognition for secondary level issued by the
Bureau of Secondary Education, DepEd ARMM. The recognitions in Elementary and
Secondary was the first official achievements of the institute en route for the
realization of its dream.
In
2010, Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. affiliated with the Philippine
Federation of Pilot Madaris (Schools) where its participation in it has been
ranked as 2nd best school in the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao in providing quality balanced education. DII’s founder Aleem Salem
Abdullah Omar also became the 3rd President of the Philippine
Federation of Pilot Madaris at this present through a magnanimous number of
votes among the members of the organization and through the recommendation of
the Undersecretary of the Madaris Education, Dr. Alzad T. Sattar.
The
physical plant of the institute was been reconstructed and its area was
expanded to 230, 000 sq. m. Buildings have progressively made into concrete and
wood and the ground floor was cemented. The teaching and non-teaching personnel
also grew as it now cater more than 60 employees.
On
November 11, 2015, Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. has gained buildings and
lot near the school area from a group of engineers. The buildings is intended
to move into it the Tahfihdil Qur’anil Kareem Department/ Qur’anic Memorization
Department and the Students, faculty and staff dormitory.
Subsequent
addition to the campus were the Administrative Building, Institute library,
Laboratories such as Science, Computer and T.L.E., and still under construction
of an annex building composed of 18 rooms.
The
Office of the Muslim Education (OME) has chosen Dhayfullah Islamic Institute,
Inc. among the several madaris in the Philippines to present its history and on
how it develop as an institution at the office of the Department of Education
(DepEd National) on September 13, 2016 in Davao City, Philippines. The
institute has also been entrusted to help those pilot madaris to likewise
develop. In the year 2015 and 2016, Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. has been
ranked as Top 1 Tahderiyyah School in the Philippines given by the joint
organization of UNICEF and BDA for two consecutive years.
The
relevance and responsiveness of the institute’s academic offering can be
gleaned into mentioning for example the achievement that our Grade 10 students
have attained garnering Top 4 in the Grade 10 National Achievement Test given
by the Marawi City Division under the Department of Education in school year
2015-2016, the excellence shown in other fields and many others. Quality
balanced education, animated by a strong Islamic spirit, has certainly
chartered the path that the institute has taken in the successful attainment in
its mission.
The
cornerstones of the establishment of the Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc.
which has been used as benchmarks in this assessment were as follows:
1.
Da’wah
The main reason for the creation of Dhayfullah Islamic Institute,
Inc. was for Da’wah. Although focused on education, the guiding principle for
the management team was for da’wah. Every member of the Institute
–administrative, faculty, and staff makes a commitment to deliver the guidance
brought upon by the book of Allah, Al-Qur’anul Kareem and the way how Muhammad
S.A.W. conveyed it academically, spiritually, morally, socially, and
physically.
2.
Islamic
Education in the Philippines –the Integrated Curriculum with Qur’anic
Memorization
The integrated curriculum as implemented in the Dhayfullah Islamic
Institute, Inc. is inspired by the global trend on the Islamization of
knowledge. Islam as a religion, and a way of life must be made integral part of
all subjects taught in all levels of education –irrespective of dialect or
language used in instruction.
3.
Reforms
for Educational Status
The poor quality of education of the Muslims in the Philippines has
been seriously affecting their quality of life and general stature in the
Philippine socio-political life and bureaucracy. The ARMM has been considered
the poorest region in the Philippines- especially in education. Among the goal
of Dhayfullah Islamic Institute, Inc. is to act model for quality balanced
education within the Philippine standards.
It is the infinite blessings of Allah Azza Wa Jal that serve as a
mover and patron in the steady growth of the institute from a simple bamboo building in 2006 to a full grown institution
of balanced education both in Arabic and English as it is today with a
population of more than 700 pupils/students. The Dhayfullah Islamic Institute,
Inc. is now the premier institution of integrated education not only in ARMM
but also throughout the Philippines.
