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Not a mere accommodation: Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., during Monday’s plenary session, November 21, 2022, lauds Sen. Robinhood Padilla, chairperson of the Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs, for his efforts in spreading awareness on the significance of wearing the hijab to the Muslim faith, saying “Ignorance breeds fear and the best way to combat this is through awareness.” In his co-sponsorship speech, Revilla said he filed Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1418 (National Hijab Day) and SBN 1502 (which prohibits the use of words that would denote religious, regional or ethnic affiliation in print, radio, television including cable television and other forms of broadcast media to refer to or describe any person suspected or convicted of a crime or unlawful act and providing penalties) not only to promote their rights but protect them. “This measure will allow one day every year to pay respect to this symbolic fixture in the Muslim faith - not as a mere courtesy or accommodation, but as a meaningful representation of our genuine appreciation to the richness of their culture, and of a deeply rooted awareness of their faith,” Revilla said. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)