CEBU, The Philippines – A total number of 59 Filipino villagers converted to Islam on Monday, December 10, following a lecture by a Muslim scholar working with the UK-based Islamic Education & Research Academy (IERA).

In the village of Tingtingon on the Filipino Island of Cebu, people attended a lecture by Abu Bakr Arabi titled “Why Islam is the chosen religion”, iERA page on Facebook reported.

Following the lecture, a total number of 59 people accepted Islam with iERA’s outreach specialist Fadhli Burhan.

The lecture is part of iERA’s Dawah Outreach work.

Last month, a team of enthusiastic Muslims cooperating with the UK-based iERA witnessed a miracle after an entire village in Bantayan Island in the central Philippines province of Cebu converted to Islam.

Muslims make up nearly 8 percent of the total population in the largely Catholic Philippines.

The mineral-rich southern region of Mindanao, Islam’s birthplace in the Philippines, is home to 5 million Muslims.

Islam reached the Philippines in the 13th century, about 200 years before Christianity.

IERA is UK-based registered charity whose sole objective is the advancement of the Islamic faith.

IERA was established to provide support for new Muslims in the first couple of years of their journey, is now holding two of these retreats a year.