SACRED MONTH | A Muslim faithful reads the Holy Quran at the Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila. Muslims anticipate a moon sighting on Sunday to signal the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayers. (Photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday urged Filipinos to imbibe the virtue of forgiveness and harmony amid their cultural differences as the Muslim community marks the start of Ramadan today.
In a statement, Marcos cited the Muslims’ “invaluable” contributions to the Philippines’ history and heritage.
“It is my hope that this monthlong celebration will strengthen our kinship, open our hearts to forgive past grievances and embrace a spirit of harmony that will redound to our collective progress,” he said.
Muslims worldwide on Sunday marked the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. It is a period of fasting and abstention from worldly pleasures as their means of spiritual discipline and deepening their connection with the creator Allah.
“It is with no doubt that our Muslim brothers and sisters have made invaluable contributions to our nation’s history and heritage, shaping our beloved motherland into the diverse and united country that it is today,” he added.
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The president hoped the monthlong observance would “strengthen Filipinos’ kinship, foster forgiveness for past grievances, and allow a spirit of harmony.”
Date check
There was some confusion over Ramadan this year after unidentified parties posted a faked presidential proclamation falsely declaring March 11 as a holiday because it was Eid al-Fitr.
The Muslim holy month will begin around sundown, depending on the sighting of the new moon. Muslims hold a dawn-to-dusk fast lasting 12 to 17 hours every day until the next new moon.
The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) corrected the fake news over the weekend and said Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, not the beginning. This year, Eid al-Fitr will be around April 9.
“The public is warned that a fake presidential proclamation is circulating on social media. There is no official announcement that the start of Ramadan is a declared national holiday,” the NCMF said in a post on its Facebook page.
Eid al-Fitr has been an official, movable public holiday since the enactment of Republic Act No. 9177 in 2002, but the exact date has to be determined by the NCMF, and Malacañang has yet to announce the date of this year’s Eid al-Fitr.