JEDDAH, 17 January 2007 — A 70-year-old man from the southern Philippine island of Basilan succumbed to heart failure in Makkah on Sunday, becoming the ninth Filipino pilgrim to die while performing Haj this year, the Philippine Consulate General has said.

A report by Solaiman Mutia, the Philippine Haj attaché based in Jeddah, said Isa Yusof Hamsain died Sunday night at a hospital in Makkah.

Hamsain’s remains were immediately buried at the Makkah cemetery following the Islamic tradition and after all the formalities with the relatives and the host country has been made and done, Mutia said in a report to Consul General Pendosina Lomondot.

The report identified the other dead pilgrims as Acmad Batua-an Maraye, Muslimin Taboto Balang, Panoro Sumdad, Aysa Macausor Campong, all of Lanao del Sur province; Dali Angkay Ngian, Guiamela Usman, both from Maguindanao; Sandy Kilam Aluddin from Zamboanga del Sur and Harun Maldisa Laudin from Basilan, all in the southern Philippines.

“Most of them died of natural causes and various illnesses while undergoing the Haj ritual in the holy city of Makkah,” said Mutia in his report.

Mutia’s said 3,608 Filipinos were among 2.3 million Muslims from all over the world who participated in the recent Haj, which started Dec. 29 and ended Jan. 3.

The Filipino hajis were led by Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan of Maguindanao province.

In the annual ritual, pilgrims trace the journey made by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) more than 1,400 years ago. According to Ampatuan, Muslims believe that dying in Makkah during the annual pilgrimage is heavenly and blessed.

During a gathering hosted by the consulate in Jeddah for the hajis, Ampatuan handed over to the Lomondot a brand new ambulance to provide medical assistance to Filipino Muslims visiting Makkah to perform their pilgrimage.

Also present during the gathering were Ambassador Antonio Villamor, Deputy Director Nur Adiong of the Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA).

Saudi officials overseeing the haj operations for Southeast Asia and the Philippines, headed by Ali ibn Yaseen Abdula Majeed, director of National Tawafa Establishment for Pilgrims, and Dr. Tariq Banja, chairman of Maktab 99, who were awarded plaques of appreciation by Ampatuan.