Melo Villareal
President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III signed Proclamation No. 1128 on September 15, declaring September 25 (Friday) as a regular holiday nationwide in observance of the annual Eid’l Adha.
The originally September 24 holiday was moved to the following day in accordance with the Islamic calendar and the Islamic faith’s highest authority. “The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) recommends that the observance of Eid’l Adha in the Philippines be on 25 September 2015 based on the Islamic Calendar and the declaration made by Saudi Arabia’s highest religious authority, thereby amending its earlier recommendation to observe the occasion on 24 September 2015,” the Proclamation No. 1128 reads.
Eid’l Adha in the Philippines on September 25, 2015
“As the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, the date to celebrate Eidul Adha constantly changes. It is the duty of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) to inform the Office of the President on which date in the Gregorian calendar it should fall,” publicholidays.ph further explains.
Eid’l Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, is one of the two major feasts of Islam, and is celebrated before the Hajj pilgrimage ends. Eid’l Adha is celebrated every 10th day of the 12th month (Zhul Hijja) of the Islamic calendar. By tradition, Muslim families during the Eid’l Adha gather to a mosque in their best clothes and listen to a sermon. Afterwards they partake in a feast.
Republic Act 9849 decrees that Eid’l Adha be declared a national holiday, despite the day being movable and not fixed. Last year, Eid’l Adha was celebrated on October 6, a Monday, which also gave many Filipinos a long weekend. Aquino signed Proclamation No. 875 on September 12 last year for the said holiday.
In the social media
Official Gazette PH (@govph) announced in Twitter on September 15 the “LONG WEEKEND AHEAD!” that citizens were to expect this coming week. The post has been retweeted 860 times, and the #WalangPasok tag has been trending not only because of the September 25-27 (Friday to Sunday) long weekend this coming week but also because of the six-day vacation this coming November 17-22 (Tuesday to Sunday) in Manila due to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting that will be held in the area.
