It is common knowledge that the dropout rate of Philippine children is high.  But what is even more surprising is that Muslim Filipinos make up a large part of this percentage. There are fewer enrollments from Muslim households and faster drop out rates. To address this issue, Juan Miguel “Mike” Luz, National Institute for Policy Studies (NIPS) executive vice president for policy research, held a consultative meeting with 24 asatidz (Arabic teachers) and madrasah (school) administrators from several cities in Metro Manila on 14 May 2009.