MINDANAOFORUM.COM

RIYADH - The maranaw.com and mindanaoforum.com would like to inform its valued readers all over the world that effective from Saturday it will serialize the forthcoming book, “Climbing the ladder of success”, by Alim Abdul Hannan Faisal Tago.

In the book, the first for Alim Abdul Hannan, the author takes his readers down the memory lane and explains what life had taught him through his trials and tribulations. He provides a flashback into his past as a simple “murit” Arabic student from Nanagun Butig Lanao Del Sur. From an Alim in Arabic to becoming a Reporter for a leading English newspaper in the Middle East, the transition is not easy.

But Abdul Hannan has proved that where there is a will, there is a way. And that proverb sums up the theme of his book and, indeed, the story of his life. In that sense it is a tonic for the Muslims of Mindanao, a morale-booster that tracks his journey up the hill by surmounting the challenges along the way. It is a story of grit and determination, of a thirst for knowledge, of single-minded devotion to one’s mission in life—all knit together with his strong Islamic bond that acts like a shock-absorber as he forges ahead.  

The books traces his actual experience as a journalist in Arab News and spells out the advantages of acquiring multi-lingual skills. In Abdul Hannan’s case, his proficiency in Arabic opened the doors to newsmakers and other prominent Saudi personalities who welcomed an opportunity to interact with a Filipino Muslim fluent in both English and Arabic.

Thanks to this unique advantage, he walked out of their office with exclusive news that was not only played up  by Arab News but also by prominent Arabic dailies like Al-Eqtesadiah and Alsharq Al-Awsat, for whom he wrote in Arabic. No wonder, his expertise was sought after by the Capital Market Authority (CMA), Saudi Arabia’s top regulatory authority for the stocks market. His association with CMA as part of a two-year contract provided him with a rare insight into the Saudi economic scene.

 Thus the book is a mine of information and ideas for those who wish to come up in life, no matter what challenges stare them in the office. It highlights the struggle that one has to overcome in the quest for knowledge. Yet, Abdul Hannan did not start off in life as a journalist. He entered this profession not as part of life’s mission, which he had determined early on. Rather, it became part of his professional by the force of circumstances that were prevailing in his country.  It was the unstable political situation in Mindanao that motivated him to take up mass media as an instrument to articulate the voice of his people socially, economically and politically.

After working for 18 years in different capacities for organizations across a broad spectrum, such as in the fields of business management, public relations and the media, he gained the type of knowledge that was big ticket not only for his own people but for others as well. It also catapulted him to a new high in terms of respect and dignity in the society.

 Abdul Hannan is the first Filipino bilingual journalist, who speaks four languages—Arabic, English, Maranao and Tagalog. He obtained his BA in Arabic literature, major in Mass Communication and Public Relations from Al-Azhar University, and MA in Political Science from Arab League Institution - Cairo, Egypt. 

He is currently working as Executive Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, the leading English newspaper in the Middle East. Thanks to his linguistic skills, he also doubles up as a senior staff reporter of the paper, a position he has been holding since 1992.

As an active community leader, Mr. Tago is the founder of the Integrated Mindanao Economic Forum (IMEF), which actively promotes Mindanao as a promising investment destination for Saudi investors. 

Being the only Filipino journalist who can write in Arabic, he contributes regularly to leading Arabic newspapers in the Middle East like Al-Sharq Al-Awsat and Al-Eqtisadiah frequently, besides other Arabic dailies.  

With 27 years’ experience under his belt in the Middle East, he has a rich track record on the employment front, of which eight years were devoted to academic studies in Cairo alone.  In Saudi Arabia, he worked for 18 years in some leading organizations, like the Saudi government stocks regulator, Capital Market Authority (CMA) and the Saudi Stock Market at its Media and Investment Awareness Department for two years.

He was tasked by the CMA to organize the joint CMA/Euromoney/SAMA and SAGIA Economic Forum on "Building the Future" held in Riyadh in 2006. He joined Arab News in 1992 where he has been working ever since.  

Mr. Tago is an active member/adviser/chairman of many civic and sports organizations abroad. He enjoys good relations with the Saudi media and businessmen. His close contacts with media and other personalities in major public-sector organizations has also brought him closer to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh  

One of the landmark events in his career was the historic meeting with HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), and one of the richest and most influential businessmen in the Arab and Muslim world.  

HRH was awarded an honorary doctorate in Business Administration by the Commission on Higher Education, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CHED-ARMM) through IMEF’s initiatives, during a presentation ceremony held in Riyadh on May 3^rd, 2008 at the Kingdom Resort in Riyadh.