Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo plans to file a bill requiring private and government offices to provide prayer breaks and designate prayer rooms for Muslim employees.
“In Islam, our Muslim brothers and sisters need to pray five times a day,” Tulfo said in a statement, explaining that two of these prayers—Dhuhr at midday and Asr in the late afternoon—often fall within regular working hours.
The aspiring senator highlighted that many Muslim employees feel hesitant to ask for breaks, fearing scrutiny or misunderstanding from supervisors who practice different religions.
“These moments allow our Muslim brothers and sisters to show their faith in Allah and reflect on their spiritual life,” he noted.
The proposed bill, which Tulfo intends to file when sessions at the House of Representatives resume in June, aims to institutionalize two prayer breaks during working hours and ensure the establishment of designated prayer areas in both public and private workplaces.
While some companies and agencies, particularly in Muslim-majority provinces like those in Mindanao, already accommodate prayer breaks, Tulfo’s proposal seeks to make this a standard practice nationwide.