MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang Palace has officially declared Tuesday, April 1, 2025, as a regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Fitr (Feast of Ramadan).
 |
| Filipino Muslims gather at Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park in Manila as they pray in unison the Salat-Al-Eid, a prayer intended for the celebration of Eid'l Fitr. Photo courtesy: GMA News |
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Proclamation No. 839 on Thursday, March 20, in accordance with the recommendation of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, which suggested either March 31 or April 1 as the national holiday.
"In order to bring the religious and cultural significance of the Eid'l Fitr to the fore of national consciousness, and to allow the entire Filipino nation to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in peace and harmony in the observance and celebration of Eid'l Fitr, it is necessary to declare 01 April 2025, Tuesday, a regular holiday throughout the country," the proclamation states.
In the Arab world and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Islamic community generally believes that either March 30 or March 31, will be the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the lunar-based Islamic calendar.
Moon sighting, or hilal sighting, is an essential practice in Islam for determining the start of a new lunar month. The Islamic calendar follows the moon’s cycles, and when the crescent moon is not seen, the month is completed before the next one begins.
Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, depending on when the Moon is sighted.
According to Proclamation No. 727 for the declaration of 2025 holidays in the Philippines, the "proclamations declaring national holidays for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha shall hereafter be issued after the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar (Hijra) or the lunar calendar, or upon Islamic astronomical calculations, whichever is possible or convenient."
SEE ALSO: LIST: Philippine holidays for 2025
Eid Al-Fitr is the Muslim festival that ends the fasting of Ramadan month (ninth month of the Muslim calendar) and the beginning of Shawwal.
The holy fasting period for Ramadan started on March 2, 2025 in the Philippines, according to Bangsamoro Darul Ifta (BDI), the Islamic advisory council which has jurisdiction over the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The BDI annually conducts moon sighting activities in the country to observe the first glimpse of the crescent moon.
Devout Muslims fast every day for about 30 days from dawn to sunset during the entire Ramadan, which they consider a period of introspection, communal prayer in the mosque, and reading of the Quran, Islam’s holy book.
In November 2002, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Republic Act No. 9177 into law declaring the first day of Shawwal a national holiday for the observance of Eidul Fitr.
Eid al-Fitr is traditionally celebrated by families gathering in large congregation for an Eid prayer to express gratitude to Allah for having been able to perform their personal sacrifices.
Eid'l Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations. The other one is Eid al-Adha or The Feast of the Sacrifice, celebrated on the 10th day of the last month of the Islamic calendar and commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son to God. Eid al-Adha also marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, the 5th Pillar of Islam.
In the Philippines, Muslim Filipinos comprise about 6 percent of the population.
— The Summit Express
