Proliferation of arms, warlordism, poverty, peace process, corruption, vote-buying and the recent attack on Malaysian churches are just some of the issues confronting the Muslims in the country. Coming together to tackle them is the most influential sector in Muslim society, the religious leaders.

Ulama (aleema for women) are religious learned in Arabic and Islam. Most are graduates of Middle Eastern Islamic universities.

The Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) estimates Muslims in the Philippines to be at 8.3 million.

The largest gathering of independent ulama, Muslim religious leaders, will be held on January 25-29, 2010 at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City, for the 3rd National Ulama Summit and Regional Conference of Aleemat, or women Islamic scholars.

Organized by the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) for the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP), the gathering will be attended by around 500 independent ulama and aleemat representing over 200 ulama-led organizations, an unprecedented assembly of Muslim religious leaders rarely seen in the country.

The NUCP is a broad aggrupation that includes the majority of all independent ulama organizations and federations throughout the country. Its members include some of the most respected Muslim religious leaders and eminent Islamic scholars coming from the five Muslim provinces and the various Muslim communities throughout the nation.

The five-day summit is a culmination of a series of summits and regional forums the NUCP has conducted last year. The interim NUCP board will likewise elect its regular members during the summit.

The event is supported by the British and Dutch embassies, The Asia Foundation and the Japan Foundation.