Oct. 15, 2013 declared a holiday

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III has declared Oct. 15, 2013 as a regular holiday throughout the country in observance of the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice or Eid’l Adha.

Mr. Aquino signed Proclamation No. 658 on Oct. 3 but it was made public only Friday.

The President based the proclamation on Republic Act No. 9849, which provides that Eid’l Adha shall be celebrated as a regular holiday.

Eid’l Adha is one of the two greatest feasts of Islam, but the date of the festival is based on the declaration made by Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body.

The other, Eid’l Fitr or the Feast of Breaking the Fast, is celebrated by all Muslims worldwide to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Eid’l Adha is the 10th day in the month of Hajj, or Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, wherein Muslims pay homage to Abraham’s supreme act of sacrifice that signifies mankind’s obedience to God.

This year, Malacañang said that the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos had recommended that the observance of Eid’l Adha be held on Oct. 15, “and the Eid’l Adha prayer be performed on the final declaration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Michael  Lim Ubac

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